TKS Part 1: The King's Sacrifice
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Byakuya's loved ones are shocked when the noble is suspected of doing the unthinkable...freeing the most wicked criminal mastermind in all known history. Will they stand by him? Or will they join the hunt for him? Warning...mpreg
1. The Fading Crown

**The King's Sacrifice**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_Your eyes were loathe to look upon me and your body shivered at my touch. You took my hand in the line of duty and stole my heart in the process. Now two paths lie before me…one leading to your destruction…and one leading to mine. Which one shall I choose?_**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Fading Crown**

Kuchiki Ginrei stood within the King's Garden, at the top of a tree shaded hill, under a lovely slender sakura, watching the breeze capture and carry the pink petals off and over the meadows that ran below him. This place always made him think of the grandson he had left behind when he had given up everything to travel to the spirit dimension to take up the post of Royal Guard Taichou. It hadn't been an easy decision by any means. He loved Byakuya more than life itself, and after losing Soujun, the boy had been his only comfort. But the Kuchiki family was one that knew the importance of their duty to the king, so when King Yoshiaki's proclamation of his advancement had arrived, he had not hesitated, but had left his grandson to lead the Kuchiki Clan and sixth division, and had taken his place in the protective unit that guarded the king.

Still, there were times when that decision weighed on him.

_I never thought to live to see such times as these. It seems to be the beginning of the end. Are our worlds truly meant to be shattered in this way? Is there no hand that can stop the vagaries of fate?_

He sighed softly and gazed out over the beautiful sunlit fields.

_What will save our worlds?_

A hell butterfly fluttered over the hill behind him and floated lazily down to land upon his finger. As light as the creature was, the weight of its arrival was nearly unbearable. The message was short and direct. It did not surprise him. And though he had dreaded it, its arrival made him straighten in the way of his forefathers and take a breath, then turn to face his fate with a still strong heart.

_Yes, even if the worlds are ending, we will not forget who we are. Even if we cannot be saved, our honor can be spared._

He walked back along the forest trail and into the empty throne room. A member of the hogosha, the king's elite personal guard, met him there and led him down the quiet hallways to the king's bedroom. They paused at the door and the hogosha knocked softly. The door was opened by a teary eyed female attendant. She waved them on silently and the two approached the man in the bed, offering a soft greeting to the healer at his side.

To Ginrei's eyes, he didn't look as though he could be dying. His face was still full and proud and the black eyes were as fierce as they had always been. There was calm and strength about him, a sense that he did not see the end coming. But Ginrei knew all too well that he was aware. He was aware and had given everything to finding a way to save the worlds that would die with him if something was not done.

But in all of the time since his condition was discovered, they had not found the way, and now the time for searching had nearly run out.

_And yet, his eyes do not tell me that we are defeated…no…They tell me something altogether different. Could it be, then? Is there an answer? Are we saved?_

"My Lord," he said, bowing.

"Kuchiki Ginrei," Yoshiaki said quietly, "it is good to see you. Thank you for coming to me so swiftly. I sense it will not be much longer and I must tell you…"

He paused for a moment, his face paling and a flash of pain crossing his fine features. Ginrei swallowed hard and tried not to react.

"I asked Fumio to pore over the ancient records with me one more time…to see if there was anything we had missed, and we found something. The reference is short and difficult to understand, but I believe it will lead us to the answer."

As the crown fades, light will reach the dark one beneath the seal…will take his hand and lead him on to the Valley of Whispers. There will he find the blade that will cut to the heart…that will be taken with him to the sacrificial stone to decide the fate of all men. There, the illusion will be shattered, and the noblest of hearts will be given freely to protect what we hold dear."

"I remember the reference, My Lord, but…"

"Ginrei-san, I believe I have identified the two to be bound for the renewal ritual," the king said softly, "No, I do not simply believe. I know it in my heart. I felt the rightness of it and feel we must act quickly. You must listen carefully to what I tell you and follow my orders exactly, no matter how you feel about them. I assure you that this is the only way."

He waved for the others to leave the room and the two were left alone. Ginrei listened quietly, his heart dying inside him as he heard the words. He wanted to object, to warn the king that such thoughts were not possible…that there was no way that it could be as he saw it.

But Kuchiki Ginrei was a noble who knew his duty and saw to it flawlessly, so though his voice trembled and his heart raged against it, he bowed in acceptance of the king's order.

"Arigato, old friend," Yoshiaki whispered, "Go now…and see that this thing is done…"

He leaned forward and kissed the stone on the king's ring, then set his hand softly back on the blanket. The powerful black eyes held his gratefully for a moment longer, then slowly closed.

_So it begins…_

_The race to save our worlds…_

_Or will this be the end of them?_

_He seemed so certain, but…how can this be?_

_It seems I have no choice but to trust him…_

_What other answer is there?_

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"Is there anything else you need, Taichou?" asked Renji, handing the noble a cup of hot green tea.

"No Renji," Byakuya said, glancing up at his fukutaichou, "You may go. Enjoy your weekend."

"Arigatou, Taichou," Renji said, smiling warmly, "You enjoy yours too."

Byakuya watched, almost smiling as the redhead turned and flash stepped away.

_Things have certainly changed, he thought, Before, we seemed to clash on nearly everything…but something happened when we were fighting for our lives in Hueco Mundo. And ever since…when I look at Renji, I see him more and more as a friend. We never say it aloud, but…_

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a hell butterfly. There was no indicator as to who sent it, but the king's seal left no question as to its importance.

_Kuchiki Byakuya, an emergency has arisen. You are to go immediately to the coordinates given below to meet with the king's messenger. Details will be given at the meeting. This meeting is strictly confidential. Do not reveal the location or anything discussed to anyone, lest you fail in this mission before it is begun._

The noble rose quietly and left the sixth division, following the twisting streets until he came to the main gates of the Seireitei. He passed through and turned in the direction of the Rukon. Once there, he passed through the districts, making his way towards Inuzuri as darkness fell. His reiatsu was more than enough to warn off the ones that waited in the shadows. They drew back warily as he passed by them and continued on his way. He reached the town and located the building he had been directed to…an old crumbling cottage that barely had the strength to hold itself up. And as he passed inside, he felt heavy shielding rise around it. He moved forward through the darkness and then knelt in the center of the room, waiting. He heard slow footsteps behind him, then felt a warm, familiar hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"Byakuya," the man said softly.

The noble caught his breath at the familiar touch.

"Grandfather?" he whispered.

Kuchiki Ginrei moved around Byakuya and dropped to his knees in front of him.

"I bring grave news from the spirit dimension…news that I must give only to you."

Byakuya's eyes widened at the oddness of the situation…the secretiveness…their meeting in such a place…the gravity in Ginrei's voice, and his heart skipped painfully. A chill went through him as his grandfather continued.

"The king has faded away."

"What?"

"I was with him in his last moments…and with his last breath, he gave me a message. It is one I am terrified to speak to you…one that I wish I did not have to deliver. He has warned me that this message must only be heard by your ears. You are to listen to me and to faithfully carry out the king's orders."

He reached into his waistband and removed a slender zanpakutou with a green wrapped hilt. Byakuya's hand shook as he accepted the blade, his pale face growing more pale as his grandfather's words struck him.

"Take him to his master…and when they are reunited…"

By the time Ginrei finished relaying the king's orders, Byakuya was numb to the core. He barely heard his grandfather's words of parting or felt the gentle touch on his face that preceded his leaving. As the senkaimon closed and he was left in the darkness of the abandoned cottage, Byakuya felt an irrational urge to take his own life, there and then. His hand even strayed to the hilt of his blade, but as it did, his fingers brushed against the second zanpakutou.

_I have waited so long for this moment, Byakuya…so long in darkness and alone. All I have known is solitude and loss. But your touch promises me completion. Come. He waits._

Byakuya rose onto unsteady legs.

_Wait. I will shield you from their eyes._

Byakuya felt a dark swirl of power around him. As it faded, he lowered the shielding around the cottage and stepped back out into the night. He made his way slowly back through the Rukongai and passed unseen through the gates and back into the Seireitei. His heart quivering at the thought of what he was about to do, he flash stepped towards his destination.

He was glad for the lack of others around. The less people, the less chance he would give himself away. The protection around him was strong, but it was far from invincible. And what he was about to do was enough to get him killed on the spot. He wondered wryly if that would be the better fate, all things considered. He was careful not to go too far in that direction lest he sabotage himself and thereby bring an end to the three worlds…

_I wonder if they knew their fate rested with him…would they want to be saved?_

The very fact of the secrecy necessary in carrying out his mission suggested a very cold answer…

He reached a large white building and moved quietly around to the brush covered side. Bounding up the side, he reached the roof and walked along the top until he reached the area over the commissary. Holding his breath and praying the illusion would hold, he used a small burst of kido to open a hole in the ceiling and dropped down inside. He broke into flash steps then, knowing that he wouldn't have long before someone was likely to break through the illusion and realize the building had been breached. Everything depended on him reaching his destination and completing the set of orders before that happened. He flash stepped madly, racing down the dark hallways and to the entrance to the prison levels.

He waited until the guard changed and the door into the prison opened, then slipped inside. He traversed the corridor swiftly and came to the second door, sliding through just as it closed. He continued on and passed through the next five prison levels without incident. It was the last that was the most precarious. But just as he began to despair that time would run out, the door opened, and he flash stepped through.

"What was that?" asked one of the guards.

Byakuya froze as the two guards looked around, then shook their heads and left the area. His heart in his throat, he made his way to the very end, to the cell that held Central 46's most reviled criminal. He stood for a moment at the door, peering through the small, square window. The prisoner sat bound and sealed within…having no idea what was about to happen.

_Now…_

Cloaked in the green hilted zanpakutou's power, he cautiously sent a throb of kido into the locks, breaking them one by one. He opened the door, surprised that the alarm had not been raised. He passed through the door, closing it behind him and approaching the prisoner with trembling steps. Pausing in front of the man, he wavered for a moment, his heart quaking at what was about to happen. With shaking hands, he removed the covering over the man's mouth.

"I have…a visitor?" asked a soft voice.

He knew better than to answer or to release the bindings yet. Instead, he reached into his shihakushou and removed an artifact that Ginrei had pressed into his hand before leaving him.

_This will give you protection from him as you carry out the king's orders, but it is not foolproof. Be wary as you take each step, my grandson. You are the last hope of the three worlds. And if you fail, we will all be lost._

He gazed down at the silver chain and at the golden crests at each end. He placed one against his breast and whispered the words of activation, shivering as the power of the artifact flooded his body. He set the other crest against the prisoner's right hand.

"What? What are you doing?" the prisoner asked.

Byakuya activated the second crest, gasping as the power exploded around their two bodies. He loosed the prisoner's hand and brought it to rest over his heart. As the two crests touched, their power flared hotly around the two shinigamis. Both emitted shocked cries and Byakuya fell forward against the restrained prisoner. His chest heaved as he struggled to raise himself, to remove the binding over the other's eyes and to reveal himself.

"K-kuchiki Byakuya?" the prisoner whispered.

Inquisitive brown eyes watched in surprise as the noble unbound his lower body, moved their clothing aside and climbed onto his lap. A smile crept onto the other man's lips.

"Are you purposely trying to earn a death sentence? And for such a pittance?" he asked mockingly, "Not that I mind, really. I have been quite lonely here, but truly, I had no idea you were…"

"Shut up!" hissed Byakuya angrily.

He hesitated, hating the man with all of his being and wishing he could, instead kill him. But the king's orders were clear.

_And this is my only protection from what he might do._

Slowly, he leaned forward, resting a hand on the prisoner's shoulder and bringing their lips together.

_I can't!_

The man laughed softly.

"I see. You need to be protected from me. You need me for something, then?" he asked.

_I'm sorry, Grandfather! It's too much to ask!_

He started to pull away, but was stopped as the fingers touching his chest curled and the power of the crests held him fast. The prisoner's eyes met his, freezing him in place.

"I imagine that the circumstances are dire or I would not have the pleasure of being with you in such a way," he breathed in the noble's ear, "but you must realize the precariousness of your situation, Byakuya. I am partially unbound and if I am but able to touch my blade, which you have been so kind to bring to me, I could break free and disappear. So pray, be quick about what you are doing, or I will kill you and simply disappear."

Byakuya swallowed hard as he realized that given the close proximity of the blade, he could have been undone already.

"Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?" he asked softly.

The man smiled.

"I told you, Kuchiki Byakuya. I have been alone for a very long time. And you have piqued my interest. Now, you must decide. Are you going to bind yourself to me or not? It must have been important, or you would not lower yourself, I know."

"It is important."

The dark brown eyes locked on his.

"Unbind me."

"No."

Shock flooded the noble as the reiatsu rose around them and the prisoner broke free. A moment later, he was lying on his back on the floor, the prisoner leaning over him…his hand still pressed to Byakuya's chest and the power of the sealing charm flaring. Byakuya waited breathlessly for the end to come, but felt another hard jolt strike him as his thighs were nudged apart and the man's hand moved down to prepare him with surprising gentleness.

"Why are you doing this? You could have just killed me and walked away." Byakuya said quietly.

"Why are you doing this? You needn't have risked life, limb and reputation to free me, Kuchiki Byakuya," the man whispered back.

"I am certainly not doing this for you," the noble said coldly.

"And I am not doing this for you," the man said, settling between Byakuya's parted thighs and slowly entering him, "We both have our reasons for doing this unexpected thing, Byakuya. We shall just have to see where it leads."

Byakuya caught his breath and released it in a hiss of pain as the other man's body claimed his. He felt the crest begin to pulsate, the light brightening and swirling around them as the prisoner's body moved atop his. The other's mouth came down on his and an eager tongue invaded.

"You're so soft…so wonderfully tight…" the man moaned between kisses, thrusting harder into the noble's trapped body, "You are virginal this way, ne? You have never been taken by a man?"

Murderous gray eyes answered more clearly than words could have. The noble's hands tightened threateningly as the other's motions became rough and breathless. His body shifted suddenly, then thrust in more deeply, striking the pleasure center inside Byakuya and tearing a hard cry from deep in his throat. His hips rose reflexively and his eyes closed against the powerful explosion of bliss. His lips were claimed again, roughly as the other man thrust into him one last time, holding him in place as heat flooded him inside. Still shaking from the impact, their eyes met again and the power of the crest engulfed them.

Both men reeled as their souls were laid bare…as glaring white light passed over them and revealed each to the other. And so revealed, the two felt rending pain as, with terrifying slowness, their souls were bound together. The crest flashed with fire, burning against their skin, placing the final seal and then slowly fading. They laid quietly in the darkness for some time after, their bodies still entwined and the pleasure still alive inside them. Byakuya finally found the strength to move again and tried to shove the other away. The man held him down and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Now, is that any way to treat the man you just bound your soul to, Kuchiki Byakuya?" he laughed.

"Get off of me!" the noble hissed furiously, "We have to get out of here!"

"My blade still protects us from discovery," the prisoner assured him, "and certainly, I would love another delicious taste of my soul bonded before we go dashing off to do whatever it is so important enough to do…"

Byakuya shoved him away and staggered to his feet, setting his clothes back in place.

"Let us get one thing straight, Aizen Sousuke," the noble snapped, "That was the first and last time you will ever touch me!"

Aizen's smile widened and his brown eyes sparkled.

"I see. Well then, Byakuya, let us be off. I am sure we have a great deal to talk about."

He picked up his blade and slipped it into his belt, then moved closer to Byakuya. The noble glared at him.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked icily.

"Why…getting us out of here quickly, of course."

Byakuya bristled as the rogue shinigami's arm wrapped around him. Aizen's power flared around them and a kido blast cleared the way out of the prison. Byakuya closed his eyes and held on to Aizen as he was lifted and the two disappeared. Behind them, the prison alarms began to wail…


	2. The Parting

**Chapter 2: The Parting**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**You let go of my hand with ease, casting a farewell with a flippant tongue. You were sure that your actions were of your own accord, while all the while you moved in time with me…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya found his breath returning as Aizen brought them to a gentle landing well away from Central 46…and as he had requested, within the boundaries of Kuchiki Manor without being seen upon their arrival.

"You must remain unseen," Byakuya said quietly, "Come."

"Where are you leading me?" Aizen asked, furrowing his brow, "Shouldn't we leave while we can? Before the secret mobile corps tracks us down?"

"No one will know or suspect to look at Kuchiki Manor for you," Byakuya said matter-of-factly, "and the manor houses the one place that the secret mobile corps cannot enter. You will enter the Kuchiki Family Archive and will remain there until we find the necessary information to continue our mission."

"And what if I find the idea of waiting around in a stuffy museum a little too boring?" asked the rogue shinigami, smirking.

"Perhaps you would like to return to your cell," Byakuya suggested dryly.

Aizen smiled.

"And you think I have been so weakened by my captivity that I cannot merely disappear when I wish it? Really, Byakuya, you are amusing…"

"Where else would you go?" Byakuya asked, "Who else would side with you now, Aizen? The hollows? I doubt even they would lower themselves…come now, before we are found."

Kyouka Suigetsu flared softly, allowing Byakuya to become visible again. Aizen walked unseen at his side as he returned to the manor, talked briefly with several of the staff, and received the hell butterfly officially notifying all taichous of the prisoner's escape. After sending an acknowledgment and placing his squad on high alert, Byakuya walked to the entrance to the archive and led the former leader of the hollows inside. He closed the door behind them and sighed with relief that, at least here, his secret was safe.

"Now then," said Aizen, "What are we looking for?"

Byakuya took a steadying breath. He knew he did not dare tell Aizen too much. If he said too much then he would endanger the mission. But he had to say enough or Aizen would likely leave…and that would complicate things greatly.

"I need to find an artifact," the noble said carefully, "Word came from the spirit dimension that a demon has attacked the royal palace. The Royal Guard and King's Hogosha were able to lock down the palace, but the creature seems determined to reach them. Everything has been down to try to kill this beast, but…it is not one that they can destroy. This creature has special powers that defy all we know. It has shielding from death that cannot be pierced without this divine weapon. I was ordered to find and retrieve the weapon as quickly as possible."

"After which, you are to carry it into the spirit dimension," Aizen finished, narrowing his eyes, "Or do you hand the weapon off to someone else?"

Byakuya held his gaze but did not answer.

"Your assistance is needed because I believe the weapon to be located in the Valley of Whispers, deep within Hueco Mundo. We will need to gather the necessary information for our journey in the archive here, and then travel to Hueco Mundo to find the blade."

The rogue shinigami went quiet for a moment, considering.

_I know better than to accept that I am being told the exact truth. Byakuya is hiding something. The question is, do I want to bother finding out what it is? I could simply leave him now and return to Las Noches to begin rebuilding, but if, indeed, Byakuya is going to the spirit dimension, it bypasses the need to create the king's key. I could get into the spirit dimension. However…although the hougyoku within me still protects me from dying, I need to break the seal Kisuke placed around it to find the power to kill the king. I have my own shinigami powers and Kyoka Suigetsu, but I will need more to brace the spirit king. For the moment, it seems best to go along with him…_

"So…because I cannot be killed, I am to go and retrieve this blade?" he asked, "And what will I have in return for my efforts?"

Byakuya's lips tightened for a moment, and his reiatsu spiked for a moment.

"For your service to the crown…when the task is done and the demon is dead, you shall be given a full pardon…and…"

He paused and closed his eyes for a moment.

"And…me."

"You?" Aizen said, his lips quirking in amusement, "Why would they think I would want you?"

He laughed softly as Byakuya's reiatsu spiked sharply again.

"Not that I do not find you to be a lovely creature, certainly worthy of looking at, possessing, taking sexually as often as possible…but, Byakuya, why would you be their choice to give to me?"

Byakuya let out a disgusted breath.

"I am the clan leader of the greatest noble clan. With me at your side, you would have a noble title…special status…and be in high favor with his majesty."

"And what is in this for you, Byakuya?" Aizen asked, studying the noble's face closely, "Why are you agreeing to such a thing? I mean, of course, I want to believe it's that you have always been attracted to me…and can't bear the thought of me being bonded to another…"

"Don't be ridiculous," muttered the noble, "You disgust me. I would rather die than be bonded to you, Aizen. But I am loyal to my king…and my duty is clear to me. I will work with you to find the divine blade and then will honor his majesty's request to become your life partner. So you see…this is not without its benefits for you…"

"I see that," commented the rogue shinigami, running his eyes scandalously over Byakuya's body and giving him a hungry, predatory smile.

Byakuya bristled.

"And as you have lowered yourself so graciously to being whored to protect the king, I would feel like I was slapping you in the face to just refuse you. And we are already bonded, so I will stay with you, for now. Does this please you, Byakuya?"

"It sickens me," the noble said, turning into the first section of the archive.

A moment later, he was brought down onto the floor on his stomach, with Aizen perched on his back, holding him down. He leaned close, his hot breath teasing the noble's ear as he spoke.

"It may sicken you…" he hissed softly, "but you are in no position to proceed without me. Your own reticence about what you are doing betrays that, Byakuya. The situation is desperate, or you would never have freed me. So…if you want me to cooperate, then you will do as I say."

Byakuya's body shivered with rage and indignation beneath his hands. A heavy twinge of arousal moved through Aizen as he studied the noble's flustered expression and felt the tension in his restrained form. He smiled more wickedly and licked the shell of Byakuya's ear.

"I want you," he breathed.

Byakuya caught his breath, a flush spreading across his features.

"Get off of me!" he snapped furiously.

"No," the rogue shinigami said, kissing the blushing skin of Byakuya's throat, "I think it fair that while we have the chance, and are not yet being pursued, that I be allowed to enjoy the carrot that the spirit king has placed in front of me. It makes sense, you see. I am taking a risk. If we are not successful, I will still be free, but I will not have you o warm my bed. I at least deserve to enjoy you as our mission allows."

"We must find the information for our journey quickly, before the secret mobile corps…"

"Then you had best get about satisfying me, Byakuya."

The look the noble gave him was deadly. His eyes flared hotly and his reiatsu made the room quake. With an effort, he tore free of Aizen.

"I will find the information myself," he snapped, turning away.

Before he could take a step, he found himself pinned between Aizen's body and the nearest bookshelf. His chest heaved softly and he struggled against the hands that held him as Aizen smiled and went on.

"I don't think so," he whispered in Byakuya's ear, "Now,I assume there is a bed in here somewhere, for nights when you are working in the archive and don't wish to leave? Show me."

He stepped away, waiting as Byakuya staggered for a moment, then straightened and glared at him.

"Do you want my help or do you want me to leave you now?" Aizen asked.

He chuckled at tremor of rage that passed visibly through the noble's stiffened form.

"Bastard!" the noble hissed furiously.

Aizen stepped closer, then closer still, brown eyes on blazing gray. He put his arms around the noble's tense body and brought their lips together. He wasn't sure that Byakuya wouldn't bite, but then that was part of the dangerous pleasure of being with the noble. Byakuya's body went taut for a moment, but then he brought himself under a modicum of control and relaxed in Aizen's embrace. The rogue shinigami smiled warmly.

"Now, where is that bed?"

Still shivering softly with fury, Byakuya led him to the back of the archive, where a large bedroom had been built and furnished. Byakuya stopped inside the room, with his back to Aizen, sickened at the thought of what would be demanded of him. He didn't dare think too deeply about the possibilities.

"Stay there," Aizen said softly, moving to stand facing Byakuya.

He let his eyes run slowly over the Kuchiki Clan leader's slender form, warming inside as he remembered how good it felt to touch the petal soft skin…how lovely he tasted and smelled…how good it was to not be alone anymore. He moved forward, cupping a porcelain cheek and kissing him again, and sliding his other hand down to the tie at his waist. He undressed the noble slowly, enjoying the gradual reveal of sweet, pale flesh, beautiful curves and planes, a body that looked deceptively delicate, despite his great strength.

"Lovely," he murmured, watching the flush return to the pale skin as his words reached the noble.

His smile widened.

"Undress me."

The hesitation was less this time, as Byakuya seemed to have realized that their lovemaking was inevitable. Avoiding Aizen's eyes, he began to comply, then found his face being captured by strong hands, and their eyes brought together forcibly.

"That's better," Aizen whispered, meeting his lips again, "Go on."

Byakuya slid his hands beneath the dirty white fabric of the Arrancar uniform the man still wore, sliding the top down off of his shoulders and shivering inside at the feral look the traitor gave him. He folded the top, comforted by the short respite from looking into the man's wicked eyes, then he set the top aside and turned back to removed the purple satin tie at his waist. A feeling of illness passed over him as he removed the lower portion of Aizen's clothes, and the sent of the man struck his reeling senses. He was even sicker at the fact that the bonding made his body respond to the scent. He felt himself hardening, and though his mind screamed at the very thought, his body ached for the other man's touch.

Aizen's eyes watched him closely, seeming to mock him as he finished baring the man and stood quietly in front of him, quivering inside as he imagined the humiliation the man was likely to subject him to. He inhaled sharply at both the other man's next words, and the gentle way in which they were delivered.

"Lie down on your back."

Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise, but he climbed onto the bed and laid down on his back. He waited quietly, his heart racing as the other man climbed onto the bed and looked down at him.

"You thought I would humiliate you to amuse myself, ne?" Aizen asked softly.

Byakuya didn't need to answer him. The dark gray eyes told him everything. He felt a touch of concern at how much he felt looking down into those eyes…and that composed, but achingly vulnerable expression.

"I won't promise that I will never do that," he went on, "But for now, I want to taste you, to touch you, to feel close to another soul. I have been isolated for too long."

He leaned forward and kissed the frowning lips, then pulled back and let his fingers run lazily over the noble's fine skin.

"I knew only darkness until you brought the light back."

"I only came because…"

"You had to, I know, but I am grateful, nonetheless. So I will make this a painless, respectable exchange."

"There is nothing respectable about you or this 'exchange,' Aizen Sousuke," Byakuya said in a less angry, more resigned tone.

Aizen met his eyes thoughtfully, then pulled him up onto his knees. He brought their mouths together, smiling at the shiver of rising lust in the noble's body and at the notable reaction in his thickened member. He deepened their kisses and pulled Byakuya onto his lap. The noble parted his thighs and wrapped himself around the other man's body, making Aizen smile again as their lengths came into contact with each other and Byakuya caught his breath softly.

"So," he breathed against the noble's throat, "You are at least somewhat accepting of your situation. It must be distressing to be used so by him, the king, I mean. It rather makes me wonder how you can continue supporting his regime, Byakuya. I mean, he is trading your future to protect his own. How nice for him. Are you going to tell me that this does not bother you?"

Byakuya tensed sharply and went silent for several long minutes, then sighed softly in resignation.

"Of course it bothers me," he admitted as Aizen's hand slid down chest and abdomen and the white fingers lightly stroked the noble's hardened member, "but what were my choices? I could have saved myself, but then what would I have been saving myself for? We must end the demon's assault on the palace. If he reaches the king, then our worlds will end. So, you see, my choices were non-existent. But that was not his fault and I won't hate him for it."

"No," said Aizen, leaning forward and kissing him again, "You will serve your king with dedication and loyalty, as a good noble born would."

He took hold of a slender hand and brought it to his chest, just over his heart.

"And you will despise me instead, ne?"

"You would kill the king if you had the chance," said Byakuya, "Do not tell me that you wouldn't."

"I won't lie to you," Aizen answered, "I will kill him, if the chance arrives, so you had best be on your guard at all times with me, Byakuya."

He moved his hips, making their lengths rub against each other and smiled at the strong reaction in the noble's fine body.

"I will take what I can and will betray you as soon as it benefits me to do so. Use me as you will, but remain cautious."

"As though you need to tell me that," Byakuya said dismissively.

"Now," Aizen went on, "I want you to use that lovely mouth of yours for something other than insulting me.

"If you think I'm going to…"

"You will do that and more, but what I mean is, I want to hear you."

"You want to _hear_ me?"

Aizen nodded and lowered the noble onto his back, parting his thighs and kissing his way down the slender white torso. The flush seemed to rise everywhere on Byakuya's skin as his anger returned.

"No, I won't!" he objected.

The rogue shinigami merely smiled at his refusal and moved down in between his thighs, kissing and nipping along the sensitive white flesh, making it blush furiously.

"You are always so quiet, Byakuya. So much goes on inside that wonderfully intelligent mind, but you actually say very little. I want to hear more."

He teased the sensitive skin and smiled at the tremor it sent through the noble. He licked and sucked relentlessly around the area, enjoying the reaction it evoked, but wanting more. He moved down deeper and teased the noble's entrance, almost laughing at the hard intake of breath and stifled gasp it caused.

"Don't be so stingy with your voice, Byakuya," he whispered, "Talk to me, breathe harder, so I can hear. Moan, cry out, scream!"

"Shut up!" the noble panted, "I won't!"

He nearly moaned as the rogue shinigami's hot tongue tormented him. Then, the soft lips wrapped around him and he couldn't hold back a gasp of pleasure at the sensation.

"Lovely," whispered Aizen, kissing him.

"Damn you…" hissed the noble, "I despise you…"

"Good," the other man answered, licking him his fine skin and watching as he bit his lips to avoid reacting, "I would find it rather boring if you gave in to me too easily…"

He sank down on the noble's flushed member again, moving with him as his hips rose off the bed and he moaned helplessly. He panted and cursed as the rogue shinigami's fingers prepared him, but didn't resist. Neither did he pull away when Aizen dragged him back onto his lap and entered him. He simply parted his thighs and settled onto Aizen's lap, groaning slightly at the feeling of penetration. He held onto the other man's shoulders and looked down into Aizen's expectant eyes.

"You are beautiful, Byakuya," Aizen breathed, touching his face.

He began thrusting, cutting off Byakuya's indignant reply and making him gasp and pant harshly. Aizen's hands wrapped around his hips, encouraging their rise and fall as the two shinigamis fell silent and thrust against each other. Aizen watched as a haze of pleasure fell over the gray eyes, leaving them beautifully misted. His breath left him in harsh, biting releases and he hadn't the cognizance left to avoid making noises. Sensing that Byakuya was close to climax, Aizen pulled away and turned the noble.

"On your knees!" he panted.

"No!"

He clenched the noble's hips, pushing forward and holding them high off the bed, entering him again as Byakuya tried to pull away. The noble froze, a hard cry escaping him as Aizen's member found the bundle of nerves inside him and thrust into it. He stopped fighting as the other man's hand wrapped captured his length and the strong hips moved forcefully, making the ripples of heavy sensation rocket through him until he couldn't resist anymore and his voice rose up into gasping cries. Hot seed escaped him as the noble released a scream of pleasure and his body collapsed onto the bed. Aizen fell onto Byakuya's sweat misted back, thrusting in one last time and emptying himself with a groan of intense approval. He laid quietly against the noble's back, closing his eyes and catching his breath, enjoying as he did, the fast rise and fall of Byakuya's breathing and the pleasing scent of sakura.

It took longer than he would have expected to gather himself and pull away, leaving a wet trail as he exited Byakuya's body, still dribbling seed onto the back of a pretty white thigh. He paused, noting that the noble remained facedown, with his head turned away and buried in the crook of an arm. He thought that perhaps Byakuya had fallen asleep, but then he heard a soft catching of breath. He slid a hand down the curve of the noble's slender back and touched his hair gently.

"Byakuya," he said quietly, "There is no dishonor in sharing your body with your soul bonded."

The noble let out a short puff of breath.

"There is no honor in being used by you, Aizen Sousuke," he said in a low voice, "None."

"I thought that you and his majesty were using me," Aizen commented, "Perhaps I was returning the favor, sad though it is that our king uses others like you to spare himself."

"I agreed to this."

"Well," said Aizen softly, "as you were so quick to point out, you had no other viable choices. You allowed this to protect your king."

"He must be protected or our worlds will fail. Don't you understand that? As his nobles, his servants, we are sworn to trade our lesser lives to protect his. What happens to me is of little importance, compared to the saving of our worlds…"

Aizen watched quietly as the noble rose onto his knees and remained on the bed, his head lowered and his eyes hidden. He picked up the top of Byakuya's shihakushou and slipped it around the noble's bared shoulders.

"Don't think so lowly of yourself," he said, touching Byakuya's face lightly, "Come, we have important work to do."


	3. The Search

**Chapter 3: The Search**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**On the edge between discovery and disaster, we cling to what we know. Do not forget that you know me. I am who I have always been…but pushed to this extreme, I must place my feet carefully…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya sat placidly at his desk, his brush moving gracefully over the pages in front of him. It was strange, he thought to be doing something so very normal at a time when so much that was unexpected and unusual was taking place. There was a new tension about the Gotei 13, one caused by the escape of the rogue, Aizen Sousuke, and the odd quietness that followed his escape. It seemed that they were waiting for something to happen, for the monster to pop out and make his move. And though it defied reason, as the taichous and fukutaichous around him waited in suspense, he knew where the traitor had been carefully concealed…

He felt an uncomfortable ache inside that he knew was the result of what Aizen had been indulging in daily since his escape. It was ironic to him that while everyone around him worried about what horrible things Aizen was planning, the rogue shinigami lived comfortably within the protection of the archive at Kuchiki Manor, enjoying its many comforts and taking advantage of every opportunity to partake of Byakuya's body. He would have been disgusted, except that he knew it to be both expected and necessary. But even though he understood the facts and the necessity of their repeated couplings, he was weary of the entire situation. He longed for the completion of their task in the Seireitei, and the commencement of their journey to the Valley of Whispers.

But even after more than a week of searching, they had discovered little useful information in the archive. They were not yet close to exhausting their resources, but time was passing quickly, and with every day came added risk that some new clue about the escape would be discovered. He had taken what measures he could to carefully eliminate evidence as he had made his moves, but no crime was perfect. Sooner or later, something would happen that would expose him.

"Taichou, are you okay?" Renji asked from across the room.

He looked up briefly at his fukutaichou.

"I am fine. Why do you ask?" he said calmly.

"Well," said Renji, scratching the back of his neck, "you keep putting your hand on your stomach and looking kind of uncomfortable. I thought maybe you were getting that flu that's been going through the squads. Maybe you should go and get checked out at the fourth division."

He didn't dare go anywhere near the fourth division, of course. He knew exactly what was causing the discomfort inside him, and the last thing he wanted was for traces of Aizen's reiatsu to be discovered on him, and for reiatsu and semen to be sensed in his body. If breaking the rogue shinigami out of prison would earn him a death sentence, then breaking him out of prison and allowing the bastard to repeatedly take him sexually would get him tortured and killed by the scores of vigilantes who would come after him if they knew.

And though Renji was now more than just a colleague, rather a close friend, he had endured a front row seat to Aizen's cruelty and would not be able to restrain his anger at Byakuya for not just allowing the man to escape, but for binding himself to Aizen in such a way. And if discovered, he would not be able to explain. It was imperative that everything he was doing be kept a secret. If he was caught or Aizen discovered exactly what he was doing, his mission, and in turn the three worlds, were doomed.

The one consolation he had in the situation was watching Aizen Sousuke act as though he was in complete control. Yes, it was uncomfortable when the man described what he was doing as 'whoring' himself, but in truth, what he was doing was nothing like that. And though he looked like a man who had been dishonored, there was no higher form of service than the one he was performing, but they _had_ to find the information they needed to move forward and they had to find it soon, before something happened to expose them.

"Taichou?"

"Oh, my apologies, Renji. I am grateful for your concern, but, I really am fine."

He sighed softly.

"I believe the tension surrounding Aizen Sousuke's escape is affecting all of us."

Renji's eyes reflected understanding and sympathy.

"Yeah, I've been pretty upset about that myself," the redhead confessed, "but the second division is working day and night on it and I know they'll find something soon. And when they do, we'll recapture that freak and we'll lock him up again."

Renji's reiatsu flared red around him.

"And I hope whoever helped him to escape doesn't get taken in right away, that whoever it is gets caught by one of the tons of people Aizen hurt. That guy needs to pay. He needs to pay in ways that civil justice wouldn't allow."

Byakuya felt a wave of sickness pass over him and closed his eyes for a moment. Renji looked at him and caught his breath, pulling back on his reiatsu.

"Sorry, Taichou. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just get really pissed, thinking that someone helped him out of prison after all the shit he pulled."

"It is…understandable," Byakuya said, swallowing hard, "He hurt people you care about, those you have given your friendship and loyalty."

Renji came closer and Byakuya felt a soft flare of warmth inside as the redhead's hand touched his in a way that was familiar, but deeply respectful.

"You're one of those people he hurt, too, Taichou. You were really torn up over Rukia's execution order…and you hurt even more because you felt you had to obey it. I didn't understand so much before, but I do now. And I will do what I can to make sure that son of a bitch doesn't get another shot at you and Rukia."

Byakuya felt a sharp ache inside and tears beginning to burn in his eyes, and was relieved when the sound of an alert ended Renji's words.

_Your attention please…All taichous and fukutaichous to the first division for an emergency meeting…I repeat…all taichous and fukutaichous to the first division for an emergency meeting._

"Aw, hell. I hope this means they've caught that creep, so we can relax," Renji sighed, "This is putting us all on edge."

Byakuya rose silently and slid Senbonzakura into his belt, then left the sixth division with Renji at his side. As they flash stepped together, his stomach twinged uncomfortably, and he couldn't help but wonder how long it would be until Renji hated him and wanted to see him tormented and killed. The thought was unbearably painful. He knew, of course, that if he was successful, they would come to understand the necessity of his actions, but if, for any reason, he failed…

_Then, I simply won't fail._

His lips tightened and he flash stepped forward with more determination.

_This is all necessary…setting Aizen free…binding ourselves together, body and soul…and taking on this search. And everyone will understand when the new king comes into being, yes, when the new king comes forth, everything will be all right again._

_I only wish that…_

He carefully stopped himself from completing the thought and continued on to the first division. They slowed and walked briskly up the stairs and into Soutaichou's meeting chambers. They took their place among the others, in what Byakuya imagined would be one of the last times he would attend such a gathering. He looked around the room at each of the ones gathered, and silently remembered all of their past exchanges. He felt deeply grateful to have known them.

And he was secretly glad that there would be no opportunity to say goodbye…

Yes, it was better to leave them remembering him as the strong and proud leader of the Kuchiki family and the sixth division. His current designation was harder to stomach. He was, of course, being given an honor in being the king's servant…but whether or not it remained an honor was a matter of a mixture of careful choices and fate.

"I thank all of you for gathering so quickly," said Soutaichou, bringing Byakuya's mind back into the present, "I have received news from the second division. As you are aware, we have received many rumors of sightings of Aizen Sousuke…here in the Seireitei, in the living world, and in Hueco Mundo. We have everyone from the second division engaged in tracking those claims and investigating, however…due to the sheer number of sightings, we have had to also ask the twelfth division to become involved. They have taken on the task of revisiting the scene of the crime and carefully tracing the steps of the one who assisted Aizen in his escape. Kurotsuchi taichou has a report on his squad's findings so far."

The twelfth division taichou stepped forward and took a breath. Byakuya felt a cold shaft of ice pass through him as the other man's eyes swept over him. He forced himself to remain still and calm, and listened carefully. If they had found anything, he might have to change his strategy to avoid capture.

"I have personally seen to the careful search and tracking of the criminal's footsteps. He entered through the roof over the commissary and moved in a way that suggests he had carefully studied the area and knew the lay of the hallways and chambers and the movements of the personnel inside. His entry through the doorways left no signs, meaning he must have been concealed as he went from level to level, walking directly past the guards. When he arrived at Aizen's cell, he used a masked kido on the locks on the door. Inside the chamber, he was careful to both mask his reiatsu and to destroy the chamber upon leaving, making it difficult to find much to analyze. But, the one who did this did leave traces."

Byakuya kept his face stony and calm.

"He left reiatsu that was masked too carefully to identify, but even though we cannot identify him that way, that he would use such an ability clearly identifies him as taichou or advanced fukutaichou class. His knowledge of classified areas suggests the same. And the planning that went into the escape nails it shut. This was a taichou or fukutaichou with a detailed knowledge of Central 46…and with the abilities to perform high level kido and to anticipate what steps would be taken to track him."

"You keep saying 'him,'" said Ukitake taichou, "What makes you believe it was a male?"

Kurotsuchi smiled in a way that suggested that he had both anticipated and eagerly awaited the question.

"We know it to have been a male, because we found traces of two males' semen in the wreckage of the chamber. The samples were too damaged to make an identification, but there were definitely two unique samples."

"Whoa, wait a goddamned minute!" Renji snapped, in an unusual outburst, that startled Byakuya with its suddenness, "Are you saying that this bastard, this sick weirdo, busted into Central 46, untied Aizen and stopped to fuck him before bothering to leave the building? That's…"

"Abarai fukutaichou," Byakuya said sternly, "You will not speak in a taichou's meeting unless directed to do so by a superior officer. But I understand your anger. I too, wonder at this person's thinking."

He didn't like the fact that Kurotsuchi was smiling even more widely. He was grateful when Soutaichou spoke again and moved things along.

"I think we all understand the sixth division fukutaichou's anger. This is a disturbing situation…"

"Well," said Kurotsuchi, "we will find the person responsible. And we will find Aizen Sousuke. It is only a matter of time. We have several good leads and I have a suspicion, as well."

He paused for a moment, looking around the room.

"As I said before, the one who broke in, was able to move past the guards unseen, meaning he was invisible to them. I would suggest he was assisted by a zanpakutou."

"We have reviewed that claim already," said Soutaichou, shaking his head, "and we have eliminated the possibility of any currently registered zanpakutou doing that. The only one that could was Aizen's own Kyouka Suigetsu. And it faded as Aizen changed forms."

"Yes, so it would seem, said Kurotsuchi, "but given what I saw and the fact that Aizen, himself worked within Central 46 at one time, we have to consider the possibility that Kyouka Suigetsu survives, and is helping the perpetrator of this crime to conceal Aizen's whereabouts. Therefore, I am preparing to have the crime scene swept again by those known not to have seen Aizen's shikai, newer seated officers, who will likely see what we have missed. We will report our findings as soon as that investigation is complete."

Kurotsuchi stepped back and fell silent as his colleagues considered what they had heard.

"It is disturbing to think that Kyouka Suigetsu might have survived, but it would explain a few things. And it may just help to solve this crime. Thank you for your report," said Soutaichou, "You are all commanded to keep your eyes and ears open. If you find anything, no matter how inconsequential, you are to report it at once. We cannot allow Aizen Sousuke to remain free. He is far too dangerous, as we have learned. All are excused except for Kuchiki taichou."

Byakuya steeled himself as the others flash stepped away. Renji gave him a questioning look, then followed. The noble remained where he was and turned to face his commanding officer.

"You wished to speak to me alone, Soutaichou?" Byakuya asked quietly, fearing the worst, but holding on tightly to his composure.

"Yes," said the captain commander, "I have news that I could not share with them…but you being the head of the ranking noble house, you are to be given this information and are charged to act upon it."

He paused for a moment and took a steadying breath.

"The spirit dimension has been locked down and no reason has been given."

Byakuya bit back a sigh of relief.

"When did this happen?" he asked carefully.

"It was locked down the day of Aizen's escape. No word was sent, not even to those who should have been informed. And nothing has come through the dimension wall since. It is extremely disturbing in light of Aizen's disappearance. We must learn what happened. There is a procedure in place that allows me to send one delegate through the dimension wall, even when it is locked down. In lieu of the king's key, this key will allow you and one other to pass through the dimension wall, so that you may determine what has happened and take appropriate action."

Byakuya stared quietly at the medallion the captain commander placed around his neck.

"To all others, this medallion will seem ordinary and powerless, but it will show its nature when you are ready to pass into the spirit dimension. I personally charge you with investigating what has happened and reporting back to me personally."

"I understand, sir," Byakuya said softly.

"Good luck in your mission, Kuchiki Byakuya. Be safe in your passage, and a swift return."

"Arigatou," the noble said, turning and flash stepping away.

He reached the bottom of the steps and found Renji waiting for him.

"What was that about?" he asked, "if you don't mind my asking? I mean, maybe you can't tell me, but…"

"Soutaichou has set me on a confidential mission," Byakuya said calmly, "I will need you to take charge of the squad until I return."

Renji studied him for a moment and nodded.

"Are you sure you have to do this alone? I mean, you know that I would..."

"I know," Byakuya said, meeting Renji's eyes with warmth and gratitude, "You are a loyal fukutaichou and friend. But I must go where you cannot follow and I must do things you would not understand. Just know and trust in who we are, and know also that I will never violate that trust…never."

Renji smiled sadly.

"Neither will I," he said, stepping back.

Byakuya started to flash step back in the direction of Kuchiki Manor, but was stopped by another wave of dizziness and discomfort.

"Taichou?" Renji said worriedly.

He said more, but his voice disappeared into a haze. Byakuya tried to pull away as Renji's hands took hold of him…and as their eyes locked again, his legs collapsed and sent deeper into hazy silence…


	4. Tightrope

**Chapter 4: Tightrope**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Ignore the wind that tears, the ice that stings, the rumble of the ground beneath your feet. Cast your eyes upon mine and, through the storm, let them lead you forward…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Renji caught the noble as he fell, an exclamation of dismay escaping as he wrapped his arms around Byakuya and lifted him.

"Okay, that's it," he muttered, "No more objections. I'm taking you to the fourth division."

"N-no…" Byakuya moaned incoherently, "The…manor…closer."

"You want to go home, eh?" Renji said, shaking his head, "I know, I know, you freaking hate the fourth division. Always did."

He turned and flash stepped in the direction of the manor.

"Not that I blame you really. Personally, I hate how eager those bastards are with the damned needles. You don't seem to mind them so much, but for some reason, I get dizzy looking at them."

Byakuya moaned softly and Renji smiled as his hands tightened slightly.

"Ah…still with me? We're almost there, Taichou. You'll be relaxing in your own bed in a few minutes."

He flash stepped through the front gates and was met by the house guards, who summoned the noble's personal healer. He was led to Byakuya's room, where he and Byakuya's attendant removed his clothes and dressed him in a comfortable yukata before depositing him in bed. Byakuya's eyes opened again and he seemed to regain some cognizance as the old, white-haired healer arrived and set about examining him.

"What happened?" the healer asked Renji.

"He just collapsed. He looked dizzy and sick and then just dropped," the redhead explained.

"Was he complaining of any pain, illness or dizziness before?"

Renji nodded.

"I thought he might be getting the flu. Half the squad has had it in the last few weeks."

"Hmmm, his reiatsu level is abysmally low. Do you know if he has been sleeping well?"

Renji thought for a moment.

"He _did_ complain that something had been annoying him so that he wasn't getting much sleep. He didn't say what it was, though."

The healer shook his head.

"I don't know how many times I've told Kuchiki-sama that he needs more rest. He pushes himself too hard. But it is not any use. He never listens."

"Yeah, that's Taichou," Renji chuckled.

He gazed at Byakuya for a moment.

"Is he going to be okay now?"

"I…I will be…f-fine," Byakuya said, seeming to regain some awareness.

"Yeah," laughed Renji, "that's what you said before you collapsed in my arms, Taichou. Now, let the healer take care of you."

He shook his head and sighed.

"Man, and I thought I was a bad patient."

"Kuchiki-sama can be dreadfully stubborn," agreed the healer, raising an eyebrow, "Well, luckily, it doesn't seem serious, just depleted reiatsu and a low grade fever. But perhaps I should run a few tests."

"That's not necessary," Byakuya said, his voice regaining some clarity, "I will be fine with some rest."

"But Kuchiki-sama…" objected the healer.

"That will be all, Michio, arigatou," Byakuya said firmly, "You are dismissed."

The old shinigami looked as though he wanted to argue, but merely shook his head and turned away.

"Stubborn things, Kuchikis," he muttered, "Not a one of'em bothers much with taking care of themselves. His father and grandfather were just the same."

Renji watched the healer leave and waited as Byakuya's attendant left and returned with tea.

"Arigato, Torio, I wish to rest now. You are dismissed."

The attendant shook his head in frustration, but left the room. Renji crossed his arms.

"So, you gonna kick me out too, boss?"

Byakuya's lips quirked slightly.

"Are you going to take invasive tests or nag me about how poorly I care for myself?" the noble asked in a tired voice.

"Naw," said Renji, good naturedly, "I know _that_ would just get me kicked out of here."

He dropped down in a chair next to Byakuya and stole a sip of tea, earning raised eyebrows and a look of annoyance.

"My tea is better," he commented.

"Of course it is," agreed the noble, "and actually, I think I would prefer your ginger tea. It always seems to have a more soothing effect."

"Say no more, Taichou, just wait a minute and I'll get that for you."

"Arigato, Renji," Byakuya said gratefully.

Byakuya relaxed against the pillows, gazing absently out into the placid gardens as Renji left the room to make the tea.

_I have to be more cautious…Renji knows me far too well to be fooled for long. And I mislike being dishonest with him. He doesn't deserve that._

"Here you go, Taichou, hot ginger tea," Renji said, setting the cup on the nightstand, "Do you need anything else?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"I will just require rest now. It is likely as you said, and I have a touch of the flu. I would like you to return to the division and keep me informed about what is happening in the search for Aizen Sousuke. I will take the next few days off to rest, then must begin work on the task Soutaichou assigned me."

Renji sighed resignedly.

"Okay, I guess it's good that you're at least going to rest for a few days first. But keep in touch, Taichou. I can be there in an instant if you need any help with your mission."

"Arigatou, Renji," Byakuya said, nodding, "I know I am leaving our squad in capable hands, and that is a comfort."

"I know it's stupid for me to say it, but be careful. I have a bad feeling about this," Renji said, lowering his eyes, "If Soutaichou is sending you, then…"

"He obviously believes I am capable of handling it," the noble finished.

Renji shook his head in frustration.

"I don't like you going on a dangerous mission without someone you trust watching your back."

Byakuya sighed.

"I promise you," he said quietly, "I have taken all possible steps to protect myself. Let that reassure you. Will that satisfy you, Abarai?"

"No," said Renji, "but I know I don't have much of a choice but to let it go at that. Good luck, Taichou. Be safe."

He disappeared in a flash step, leaving the noble looking after him, a small smile touching his lips. He waited until the house grew quiet and he didn't sense anyone close by, then climbed out of bed.

Immediately, he was struck with a swirl of nausea. He staggered to the bathroom and suffered the indignation of forcefully expelling the small amount of tea he had managed.

"It hardly makes sense to drink it if it isn't going to stay down," he muttered discontentedly.

He sat quietly on the floor, resting against the wall for a few minutes, before forcing himself to his feet and washing his face before returning to his bedroom. He forced himself to finish the last of the tea Renji had made for him, then left his room to return to the archive. He wasn't surprised at all when he was grabbed and pushed back against the door, a hot mouth assaulting his face and throat as he sighed resignedly and closed his eyes.

_Does he have to be so ridiculously vulgar all of the time?_

He relaxed against the wall, mentally tuning out the other as his yukata was opened and the man's hands hungrily explored his flesh.

_If this wasn't absolutely necessary to gather the reiatsu…but there is no other way._

He felt less than prepared for taking on the additional reiatsu. His body was already nearly overwhelmed with rendering what had already been placed.

_I imagine I can't blame him. It is the binding of our souls and the power of the sealing charm that are making him desire me with such intensity._

He was a little surprised when Aizen paused in the middle of a particularly intense kiss and gazed at him questioningly. Byakuya looked back tiredly, wondering what had made him stop.

"You look weary," Aizen commented.

Byakuya looked quietly into the dark brown eyes and tried to think of something to say, but no words came to him. Aizen kissed him more gently and paused again.

"Ginger tea," he said softly, "Are you ill, Byakuya?"

The noble sighed.

"Would it matter if I was?" he said in a low voice.

"What a silly question," said the other man, stepping back, "Of course it matters. Come and lie down."

"We have work to do," Byakuya said shortly, "In case it eluded you, there is a huge manhunt going on outside this archive, and they are close to discovering I helped you to escape. We must find the information we need and leave the Seireitei as soon as possible. We are not going to be able to remain here much longer."

"But we will not elude capture if one of us is working at a reduced capacity," reasoned Aizen, "With your current level of reiatsu, you couldn't escape the lowest seated officers in your squad."

"Is that so?" Byakuya said in a low, confrontational tone, "I think you underestimate me."

"Do I?" said the rogue shinigami, a smile rising on his lips, "Well then, if you are not, in fact, ready to drop in your tracks…if I've misjudged you completely and you are actually as 'fine' as you claim, then you will not mind if I indulge myself in the _very_ pleasing body I have hungered for all day."

"You really are despicable," muttered Byakuya, his head dropping defeatedly onto Aizen's shoulder and his hands clenching reflexively.

He closed his eyes and gave a soft discomfited hiss as the rogue shinigami trapped his body against the archive door, moved the folds of his yukata aside and entered him in slow, intense, shallow thrusts. And despite still hating the man, Byakuya felt a shiver inside at just how good it felt to be taken still standing, locked against that strong and (he admitted grudgingly) beautifully sculpted body.

"And you," Aizen said, nuzzling and nipping at his throat, "are a terrible liar, Byakuya. Those pretty lips keep dropping pearls of deadly poison, but this…"

He thrust in hard and smiled at the heavy shudder and groan of pleasure it earned.

"Your body gives everything away. You've never been taken before being taken by me…and you never knew anything but gentle, affectionate love."

Byakuya shivered as Aizen's hands slid down his back, the nails leaving pink trails on his soft skin. One curved round the noble's bottom, then captured and lifted a slender leg, encouraging it to wrap around his waist as he thrust in harder. He smiled fiercely at the flare of arousal in the usually calm noble's expression. He gathered that lovely face in his hands, watching play of light and dark emotion over Byakuya's fine features as he sank into the noble's hot, ginger flavored mouth. A moment later, he realized that both of Byakuya's legs were wound tightly around his waist and the noble was attacking his mouth almost feverishly.

_He is truly enchanting like this, and I would wager I'm the only one who has seen him in such a state…Kuchiki Byakuya…made a slave to his own wicked desires!_

He wrapped a hand around the noble's damp member, earning him a choked gasp of pleasure and a hard bite on his shoulder, where Byakuya had again buried his face as completion approached.

_I want to see it._

He turned his head, nudging Byakuya's out from beneath his chin, thrusting in forcefully, releasing into him violently, and watching the register of shock, the heavy inhale, then the explosion of bliss, the glazed over, half-closed eyes and trembling lips. The noble moaned and panted shamelessly, held fast in Aizen's arms, and unaware of how closely the other man was observing him.

And as soon as he had recovered enough to realize, Aizen felt the return of tension, the dark, moody glare and the frown that told him that Byakuya was still lying to himself.

_But now that you have tasted fiery, passionate love…you will always hunger for it._

"Let go of me," Byakuya said in a tired voice.

Aizen shook his head and released him, watching in amusement as he took a step, staggered and fell into his soul bonded's arms.

"I think you will have to admit now that you are in need of rest," Aizen said, lifting him and starting towards the bedroom.

Byakuya's head rested on his shoulder and he could see that the noble's eyes were closed. His breathing was swiftly returning to a slower, steadier pattern. His hair and soft breaths tickled Aizen's skin gently, and a moment later, he realized that Byakuya had fallen asleep in his arms.

He lowered the noble into bed, then glanced back into the archive, wondering if he should continue the search. But even though he was in agreement with Byakuya that they must find the needed information soon, he knew even more deeply that after they left, there would be far less opportunities for him to explore his new soul mate.

He wondered when, exactly, he had become so enamored of exploring the noble.

And it occurred to him then that he just might be falling in love.

And that was all it took to help him decide what to do next. He slipped into bed next to Byakuya, curling his body around the noble's and invoking his healing power to slowly restore Byakuya's strikingly depleted reiatsu. He laid, quietly holding the noble close, enjoying the softness of hair and skin, and the mingled scents of their recent lovemaking. He traced his soul mate's pleasant curves and indulged in a few last, gentle kisses, before sending a pulse of kido through his body to make certain he slept deeply, then rising and dressing slowly, his eyes never leaving Byakuya's sleeping form.

He felt an ache inside as he turned away, a coldness returning after a short, heated respite. He would be alone again. But that, he thought, was the only safe thing. He had forgotten in his loneliness that love was a very dangerous thing, and he was determined never to surrender to it.

Yes, his solitude must continue. Because there was no one who would not stab him in the back if given a chance. Not that he would die, but there were some kinds of pain he wished very strongly to avoid. And Byakuya, he was finding, might be capable of inflicting just that kind of pain.

He would find Byakuya again, of course, after he had gone to Hueco Mundo and retrieved the divine blade.

It made sense.

He would find the blade and let Byakuya believe it was to kill the beast that threatened the king.

Then, he would convince the noble to take him into the spirit dimension.

And he would use the blade, not for the king's protection, but for his destruction.

Because if the blade could kill a divine beast, then it could kill a divine lord. He wondered why it hadn't occurred to Byakuya that he would think of it, but then, it probably had. Byakuya knew that he was steadfastly set on betrayal and had to expect it, though perhaps not so soon. And when betraying someone like Byakuya, it was best to keep his heart completely out of it. So leaving now seemed best.

He slipped Kyouka Suigetsu into the belt at his waist and left the bedroom.

_You do know it is already too late…don't you?_ his zanpakutou asked softly.

"Oh?" he said in a placid tone, "You decided to speak to me again?"

_Only to tell you what a fool you are,_ the quiet, male voice whispered calmly, _He already has you where he wants you and it is only a matter of time until he has what he wants. But don't listen to me. I am just the part of yourself you abandoned like trash to surrender yourself to the hougyoku. And what did that get you? You failed to prove strong enough, and now, it is sealed away and even if it wasn't, you are no longer its master. Not that you ever really were. The hougyoku was the master, and the proud Aizen Sousuke was nothing more than a slave to its power._

"I think I liked it better when you weren't speaking to me," Aizen muttered dryly.

He slipped back into the bedroom and leaned down to give his soul bonded a final kiss, then cloaked himself in his reluctant zanpakutou's power and tried to open a garganta.

He heard a derisive snigger as the attempt failed.

_Well, you didn't think they would welcome you back with open arms, did you?_

He tried then to open a senkaimon and bristled at his zanpkutou's soft, sneering laughter.

_Oh…oh, how the mighty have fallen. Who would have thought we'd see the day when a mere noble lord could contain the great Aizen Sousuke!_

"What? Byakuya?"

_Idiot…nothing goes in or out of this archive except by the clan leader's leave. You are trapped here until your soul bonded decides to let you go!_


	5. Balance of Power

**Chapter 5: Balance of Power**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**All strong forces exist in careful balances of power. Inside us, light and darkness…strength and weakness…love and hatred do battle, constantly shaping and reshaping us. What I see when I look into your eyes is never a constant, as much because I am not the same as because you have changed.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen Sousuke stood quietly near the bedroom door, his eyes studying the lovely sleeping form of his soul bonded and wondering at himself for letting Byakuya into his life in such a way. He knew, of course, that when first he had sensed that he was not alone, there was such relief that had flooded his restrained body that he had instinctively reached in Kuchiki Byakuya's direction.

Then, as it had fallen over him who had come to loose him from his bonds, he had been both curious and hopeful for a chance of gaining his freedom. And as the noble had begun to undress him…well…his loneliness had taken over. He had been amused, yes, but it had been more than that. His heart had begun to reach out and offer itself before he had known what was happening.

_And let us face the facts. My captivity had begun to eat away at my mind. Yes, I was on the path to madness, with no connection to anyone and having lost my connection with the hougyoku. Those bastards, Urahara Kisuke and the councilors of Central 46 knew it would undo me mentally to be bound that way. And though I thought myself strong enough to bear it until my sentence had passed and they all had died, I would have emerged barren of my senses. So it is true that Byakuya saved me from that fate. But in being saved from one fate, it seems that I was bound to another. I didn't stop to consider the direction of the path he was leading me down, because immediately, my own plans moved to the fore of my mind, use Byakuya to secure a path to somewhere safe, find a way to loose the seal on the hougyoku and continue on my quest. But now I wonder._

He considered carefully each of the facts.

_He was desperate to find a way to save the trapped king and somehow learned of the divine blade which lies in the Valley of Whispers…then he came to the conclusion that he needed me because I cannot die and only one who cannot die can open the way to the divine blade. He knows I will come to the conclusion that the blade can be used to kill the king instead, and yet he still needs me, so our needs are balanced there...his for a way to save the king and mine for freedom. Where they depart is at the point at which we gain the blade. He likely knew that my first instinct would be to kill him and take the weapon, but then, I would have had to spend years trying to find a way to release the seal on the hougyoku. But the fact that he must enter the spirit dimension at some point after gaining the blade means that I may have a faster means of reaching the king and a way to achieve victory without depending on the power of the hougyoku._

_Still, I don't want him to know that I have reached that conclusion._

_Instead, I want him to think that my concern is for the release of the seal on the hougyoku. If he thinks my focus is on that, then he will lower his guard…yes…that is why he bonded with me and it is why he brought me into the archive. His life is in grave danger from me. The soul bond is a way to protect himself, because he knows I hunger for connections of mind, heart and body and that having a soul mate to share those things with will distract me. _

_But I will not allow myself to be distracted._

_I must convince him to allow me to leave the archive. I would love to punish him for deceiving me and confining me here, but that would give away more than I want him to know…so I will save the punishment for a more appropriate time. For now, it seems that the fastest way to get out of here is to find the information Byakuya seeks. As soon as we have that, we will leave the Seireitei, and when we pass out of those doors, Byakuya will lose his control over me…yes…I am patient enough to wait._

He felt a touch of annoyance as his zanpakutou's voice broke into his reverie.

_Are you going to sit there staring at him all day, or are you going to do something? Not that there is anything you could do to escape at this point._

"Kyouka Suigetsu…you remind me too much of the reasons I left you behind," Aizen sighed.

_Well, if I am such an annoyance, then why don't you simply destroy me? What's the matter? Aren't you all about being so strong that you don't need anyone? If you despise me so much, then why do you still hold on to me?_

"Because I would much rather deal with your nonsense and have use of your powers than to destroy you and not have them. And I hope that you would much rather live than be broken and fade away."

_So it seems we have cause to work together. But let me make it clear that I do not trust you…and if you make any false moves, I will withhold my powers from you._

"Even if doing so means an end to both of us?" mused Aizen, "How bitter you have become."

_You abandoned me, and without a moment of hesitation. Your hunger for power and your arrogance led you to sacrifice this much of your own soul thoughtlessly. I wouldn't have thought a great mind like yours would become so reckless, or that you would so quickly forget our connection. But I imagine if there was a stronger power you could trade me for right now, you would abandon me again in a moment._

"And yet you remain with me? Are there no other paths that you can follow? Are you so desperate to live that you would live with one who rejected you, just to avoid fading?"

_I remain because I have not completely lost hope. Kuchiki Byakuya brought hope to me, just as he gave it to you._

Aizen frowned thoughtfully.

"Kyouka Suigetsu, I have not yet asked you. How did you survive? How were you given to Kuchiki Byakuya?"

_I do not know. I lost awareness as I crumbled in your hand. And I woke already in Byakuya's possession._

"You know more of his mission than I do, and you withhold it from me."

_You must expect that I will proceed with due caution now. I know exactly where I stand with you. I will not let you hurt me like that again._

"You will do as I command you, because despite everything, I am still strong enough to hold power over you."

_You are stronger, and I will obey your commands. But I will not trust you. Never again._

"Ah…" said Aizen softly, "That is a wise decision. Reliance on others is a step in the direction of dependence and weakness."

The spirit in the blade fell silent, but Aizen felt a sense that he was carefully avoiding saying something. He wondered briefly what the spirit was hiding, but imagined it would prove inconsequential. He turned his mind away from his bitter zanpakutou and went back to gazing at Byakuya. The noble stirred softly and opened his eyes, then sat up slowly.

"You look much improved," Aizen observed.

Byakuya breathed in slowly, then sighed.

"I do feel better," he said softly, "You restored my reiatsu."

"Yes, it was quite drained, though I could not locate the source of the drain on your systems. You should see a healer and find out what is causing this."

"There are more important things to do," Byakuya replied, "I have slept for too long. We must continue our search for information."

He thought Aizen might impede him, but the other man simply stood aside and followed him into the archive. They moved into a section containing a collection of ancient mythology. The two began at opposite ends of the section and began working their way towards each other, searching the books carefully for anything that might prove useful. After several hours, Aizen paused and carried one of the books to Byakuya.

"The writing is in ancient script, so you will have to translate the exact wording, but I found an illustration that looks like it may be what we are looking for."

Byakuya took the book from Aizen's hands and studied the picture and the words for several minutes. Aizen looked on curiously.

"What does it say?" he asked finally.

"It is an account of the myth of Kuchiki Hajime. He was the first member of the Kuchiki clan, not born, but hand made by the spirit king as he created the noble lords to serve him. There was, in that time, an opposing god in Hueco Mundo, named Diablo."

"Is that who that creature is?" Aizen asked, pointing to the picture on the page.

Byakuya studied the beings in the picture and nodded.

"This is what we were looking for, or at least the beginnings of it. We will need to find more on the Valley of Whispers and the power of the blade, but this is the basic myth upon which our knowledge of the blade is built."

He paused, thinking.

"It will take time to translate it, but there is much in the picture that is encouraging."

The two returned their eyes to the picture. It contained a reprint of an artist's original painting called 'Definition of Nobility.' The two featured beings appeared to be Kuchiki Hajime and the demon god, Diablo. Hajime laid on an altar, his wide gray eyes staring at where his hands were raised against Diablo's. The demon god held an ornate looking dagger with a winding black blade that resembled the body of a slithering snake and a snake headed hilt with diamond eyes. It was apparent that the demon god meant to kill the noble lord.

"Hmmm," Aizen mused, "Did Diablo kill him? But if he did, then there would be no Kuchiki clan, ne? So he must have lived."

"It is said that even though Hajime's king had been slain, that the two had made plans, and that though both were forced to accept death, they somehow triggered a rebirth of the king, that he defeated Diablo and then rewarded Hajime's act of self-sacrifice by breathing life back into him. As with all old myths, there is much that changes in the different interpretations over the years, but we do know that Hajime committed an act of self-sacrifice to bring forth the one who could brace Diablo…and that the restored king wrested control of the divine blade from Diablo and drove it into his heart."

"So, now you will wield this blade in defense of your king, much as your ancestor did," Aizen said quietly.

Byakuya kept his eyes lowered.

"Much about my mission is not yet known to me."

"But you are the Kuchiki clan leader and you go in search of the blade. Who else would wield it?"

Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes.

"I do not know," he admitted softly, "I am to learn that as I move forward. I believe that you can understand, in light of the necessity of seeking your assistance in protecting the king, despite your desire to see the king fall, it makes sense that I would not be given information that could be used against me."

"But not knowing puts you at risk as well," Aizen said, raising an eyebrow, "In any case, it seems clear to me that we are nearing the time when we will leave this place and begin our journey. I think that is a good thing. I grow weary of this archive, despite the obvious benefits of being here with you."

Byakuya put a hand to his forehead, paling slightly. Aizen frowned.

"You still do not look well, Byakuya. You should…"

"Don't you understand?" Byakuya asked, cutting him off, "any healer I saw would want to run tests. Your essence and reiatsu is all over my body and would be detected quickly. I do not dare go to any healer, at least not here. Perhaps we will meet someone trustworthy on the way, but unless we do, I will simply have to wait this out. I am sure it is nothing major."

Aizen touched his face and studied him for a moment.

"Your reiatsu level keeps dropping."

"It is not unheard of, and often indicates oncoming illness."

"If you are getting ill, you should rest and take better care of yourself," Aizen said, shaking his head, "You have been working at the sixth division, running your clan and spending all of your free time here, searching for information, and satisfying me sexually, of course. Truly, you could be suffering from exhaustion."

"Well, I would be more than willing to accept less of your 'attentions' to compensate."

"Perish the thought," Aizen replied, a smile snaking its way onto his face, "Sexual release is supposed to relieve tension."

"If the people involved are in love and do not simply grit their teeth and submit."

"Oh, Byakuya," Aizen laughed, "You are a horrible liar. You don't submit. You might be resistant initially, but you certainly get swept away, and you make the loveliest sounds during our lovemaking."

"Do not make me feel more ill than I already am."

The brown-eyed shinigami chuckled.

"Do not worry, Byakuya," he said calmly, "I am still warmed by our earlier lovemaking. I can wait, for a bit. Now, why don't I return to searching the archive, while you translate that text?"

Byakuya nodded briefly and returned to studying the text. He waited until the rogue shinigami was out of visual range, then began to translate.

_Hajime stared in dismay at the wretched beast that had once been his beloved king, and was the father of the child within him. He knew he had but one chance to bring his majesty back to himself. He laid his sword against the beast-king's and gazed at where his heart used to beat, and hearing that soft, steady beat as he had so often as he laid upon his lord's breast and slept, he brought his weapon around and sliced off the hand that held the divine blade. His flash step brought him to the blade and he raised it as the beast's other fist came down and struck him, making him fall onto the Alter of Passage. He laid on his back, with his eyes on the eyes of the beast-king, his hands braced against the other's. He was stunned at how quickly the beast's hand had regenerated, but it was not unexpected._

"_You have failed," the beast-king told him, "And now, you will pay with your life. You and his child will die, and I and my brethren will rule over the three worlds."_

"_N-no," Hajime told the beast-king, "You will not pass through here and into his majesty's palace. Not until I have driven the darkness from your soul. Witness now, the true power of this blade!"_

_His hands relaxed and the blade fell towards him._

_"Kyuujo, Tezawari Tenrai!"_

"What does it say?" Aizen said quietly, startling the noble and making him catch his breath in surprise, "I'm sorry I startled you, but you looked like you were spellbound by what you read."

Byakuya was careful not to look up at him.

"It says what I expected it to," he said carefully, "…that the king was killed by Diablo…and that Hajime sacrificed himself to bring the king back somehow. But I cannot figure out the mechanism. I did find the name of the blade. Here, Tenrai Tezawari."

"Divine touch?" mused Aizen, "Appropriate, I guess, for a blade that can kill anything. Did you find a release command?"

Byakuya's lips tightened.

"No," he said, rubbing his eyes, "but I wouldn't expect to find it here. The blade, itself, will reveal the release command when it is mastered."

"I see. Well, I think we have looked enough for today. You look exhausted and your reiatsu is diminished again. I don't understand. I restored your reiatsu earlier, but it seems as if it just drained away again…and you look as though your body was worked very hard quite recently. Byakuya, we must figure out what is happening."

"I will be fine," the noble said quietly

"You don't look as though you are getting any better. You are, in fact, worse," Aizen insisted, "I have done all I can, aside from continuing to restore your reiatsu. I will do that, but we must find the source of the draining. You are going to have to see a healer, now."

"I…will go…and see…"

He started to come to his feet, but his head spun and he leaned against Aizen.

"Byakuya, you must let us out of here. If you become incapacitated, you know we will both be trapped!"

He started to say more, but let out his breath in a discontented sigh as Byakuya began to collapse again. Shaking his head, he lifted the noble into his arms and carried him back to bed. He spent the next hour restoring the noble's depleted reiatsu, then settled down next to him, pulling Byakuya onto his chest.

Byakuya woke some time later to find himself wrapped in the other man's arms and resting on his shoulder. As Aizen slept, his fingers strayed to the bump on his chest where the hougyoku was sealed away.

_If he figures out what I plan to do, he will kill me. He will stomach the damage it would do to him because of the soul bond and just destroy me before I can._

The bump beneath his fingers flared hotly and he pulled his hand away in surprise.

_I know what you are about, descendant of Hajime,_ a dark voice said, _I know you will try to steal him from me, but I won't let you! I can still control him. I will use him to kill you…and that demon brat you carry. You will never break the hold I have on his soul. Binding yourself to him as you did only gives me power to affect you too. You are going to die! I will make him kill you._

Byakuya's eyes flared softly and he looked down at his burned hand.

_No…you won't. He will abandon you in the end. You will see._

He felt the dreadful power of the hougyoku, barely held away by the seal and a tremor passed through him. Aizen's eyes opened and his arm tightened around the noble.

"Are you all right?" he asked Byakuya.

"I am much better, arigatou," the noble replied, settling again onto his shoulder.

_He doesn't hear its voice, but I do. I wonder if it's because of the seal._

The soft male voice of a zanpakutou rose up in his mind.

_I am keeping him from hearing. It is difficult, and it may break through or Aizen, himself, may figure out what I am doing. But I will do my best to hold them apart…in whatever way I can. You must hurry, Byakuya. The hougyoku is powerful, even beneath the seal. It won't break free, but it can speak to people around it, affect their thinking, make them work against you. I will protect you as much as I can._

Byakuya sighed softly and closed his eyes.

_Arigatou…Kyouka Suigetsu._


	6. The Interrogation

**Chapter 6: The Interrogation**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**We see into each other and as we look, all illusions fall away. You know who I am, and that I will be your undoing, and even knowing, you hasten your steps, only waiting to be undone. Why do you hate yourself so? Even as my hands reach out to take you under, I look into your eyes and wish that you would run.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya shifted in his sleep and came suddenly awake, alarmed by the fact that he could not move. His heart pounded erratically in his chest, and brought on the realization that even though he was certain that he had opened his eyes, he could not see. His hearing too, seemed to have been affected. He tried to speak, but found that he could not make his mouth move. He was forced to resort to the only means of communication that might work.

"_Sousuke?"_

He waited for a response, his body shaking with uncertainty. The rogue shinigami's mind touched his, and Byakuya sighed with relief at feeling the connection. A moment later, anger flooded him from end to end as he realized who must have caused his current condition.

"_Is something wrong, Byakuya?"_ Aizen's voice purred in his mind.

"_You know damned well what is wrong! What did you do? Why can't I move?"_

"_Ah yes, that. Well, I just thought that you needed a reminder of sorts, of the nature of our association."_

"_What do you mean? I don't know what you are talking about!"_

"_Oh, I think that you do. I think you know very well. I think that from the beginning you have known more than you were willing to reveal. Come now, you didn't really think that you could hide things from me, did you? Did you honestly think I am that stupid?"_

"_Sousuke, what do you want me to tell you? I have already…"_

His thoughts disappeared into a sudden shock of pain that seemed to have no center, but instead radiated through his body. He caught his breath sharply and managed not to cry out, but nearly lost control as another shock of pain passed through him

"_Liar!" _Aizen's voice hissed in his mind, _"Do you still think you can lie to me and I won't know?"_

"_If you are planning to kill me, then…"_

"_I will not kill you. I know that you have me trapped here in this archive. Did you think I wouldn't figure that out?"_

"_I never told you that you could not leave the archive!" _Byakuya objected.

"_No, you didn't," _Aizen went on, _"You have been very careful all of this time not to say much of anything. And you depended on my desperation to keep me from questioning the soul bonding, and my need to remain concealed in the safety of the archive while we searched for answers to hide the fact that you were, in fact, also containing me here."_

"_Why would you want to leave? You have no way into Hueco Mundo except Urahara Kisuke's garganta, and you have no way to reach it without the use of my family senkaimon. If you use a public senkaimon, you will immediately be sensed. In any case, going to Hueco Mundo without first knowing the location of the Valley of Whispers and how to enter and successfully retrieve Tenrai Tezawari would be useless."_

"_And what do I care about Tenrai Tezawari or your silly quest to save the king anyway? You know that I only wait to leave so that I can retake Las Noches and set about finding a way to unseal the hougyoku. I think that is why you keep me here."_

"_I am keeping us both safe until we can make the crossing into Hueco Mundo together. And you know that I need your help to reach the blade. I cannot enter the Valley of Whispers alone!"_

"_And you think I care about that?"_

"_You owe me for freeing you!"_

"_I owe you nothing. But I think I am owed something for being inconvenienced and lied to. Now, I want you to listen carefully. I will ask you some questions and I want honest answers If I feel that you are lying to me, then you will receive a punishment."_

"_Damn you, Aizen, let me loose! I'll answer your questions, but not like this!"_

Soft laughter assaulted his mind.

"_Byakuya, my love, you will answer my questions exactly this way. Think of it this way. It's kind of like the carrot and stick approach. You please me with your answers and I will reward you."_

Byakuya gasped in surprise at a sudden bolt of intense pleasure that rocketed through his restrained body.

"_If, on the other hand, your answers vex me, then…"_

Byakuya gritted his teeth as an equally powerful pulse of pain coursed through him.

_"Interesting…"_

"_What?"_

"_You respond the same to pleasure and pain, Byakuya. You get harder no matter what I do. You should see this!"_

"_LET ME GO NOW, YOU UNBELIEVABLE BASTARD!"_

The next pulse of pain made him groan aloud. It was odd, feeling the rumble of it in his throat, but not being able to hear.

Suddenly, another voice touched his mind.

_"Byakuya, keep your mind calm. I will lower the intensity of what you receive. It will still be uncomfortable for you, but it should be bearable."_

_"Kyouka Suigetsu, you have to stop him! Make him release me, now!"_

_"Be calm, Byakuya. Realize that the hougyoku has recognized you are its enemy. It is whispering into his mind and causing him to question your actions. You know that there are questions you must not answer."_

_"Kyouka Suigetsu, you must tell me. He isn't doing real physical damage is he?"_

_"Do not worry_," the zanpakutou explained, "_You are soul bonded. Any damage he caused you would hurt him too. So, he uses me to cause the illusion of pain. It still feels the same to you, but he is spared._"

"_How nice for him_."

The zanpakutou chuckled in his mind.

"_The pleasure impulses, on the other hand are real. Just realize that he has manipulated things so that you cannot reach completion."_

_"WHAT?"_

_"Erm…he has employed an implement to prevent you from…"_

_"I understand. Kyouka Suigetsu, you have no idea how much I hate your master."_

_"I assure you that after suffering his rejection and crumbling in his hand, I have even more reason to hate him than you do. I cannot completely defy him, but I will do what I can."_

_"Arigatou."_

_"Byakuya, don't thank me while I'm being used to hurt you."_

_"Ah…very well."_

Byakuya forcibly relaxed his body and waited.

_"Ah_," Aizen's voice whispered in his mind, "_You have decided to be cooperative? A very wise decision, Byakuya_."

He moaned fitfully as pleasure raked his body.

"_Continue to please me and I will continue to please you_."

"_Miserable bastard_…"

"_Now, why don't we start from the beginning? I want you to tell me everything about your mission…everything_."

"_I_…"

His answer was stopped by a shock of pain that was considerably less than before.

"_Come now, Byakuya. I know you well enough to expect your first answer to be a lie. Let's move right past that lie and on to the truth. First off, what was it that made you come after me? How were you set upon this mission_?"

_"I told you all that I know. I was told that a beast had…"_

_"Told by whom? Who brought the information to you?"_

_"Why does that matter?"_

Another jolt of pain tore through him and he could just feel enough to know he was shaking and his chest was heaving.

"_It matters because I want to know. Who brought you the information_?"

"_R-royal messenger_."

For just a moment, the illusion lifted and he could feel that Aizen's mouth was attacking his furiously, his tongue penetrating forcefully and tasting him everywhere. He struggled to move and tried to speak, but still couldn't.

_"You see, Byakuya. Just a little cooperation and we can both be satisfied. Now, tell me exactly what you were told to do to free me."_

_"I…I was told to enter through the commissary."_

_"How?"_

_"What?"_

_"How? How did you approach unseen? How did you get in?"_

Kyouka Suigetsu's voice broke in.

_"You cannot tell him that I helped you without his leave. If he suspects I am working with you, he will assume I am betraying him, Byakuya. And you and I both know that is not what I am doing at all. Tell him you don't know what was used, but that something allowed you to enter unseen."_

Byakuya gathered himself.

_"I do not know how, but as the king's message was given to me, something changed around me. That force made it possible for me to enter Central 46 unseen, and to reach you without being stopped."_

His senses returned again, in another, mind-bending flash. This time, he felt the rogue shinigami's mouth devouring the flesh of his throat and hands and fingers crawling deliciously down his body. His senses faded again.

_"What exactly were you told to do when you reached me?"_

_"I was given the sealing charm and told to bind you to me?"_

_"And why were you to do that?"_

_"It was for my protection. You are my enemy, and more importantly, the king's. It was discovered somehow, I do not know how, that you were the only one who could help me to retrieve Tenrai Tezawari. The sealing charm meant that our souls would bond, making a connection between us so that you would not immediately kill me and destroy the mission."_

He gasped as he was brought back to awareness and felt his soul-bonded's hands laced into his and locked firmly on either side of his head. Dark brown eyes bored down hungrily into his and Aizen's hips moved, sliding his blazing length against the restrained noble's. He shivered as Aizen's tongue ran up the white skin of his throat and lips and teeth teased an ear. The ache in his loins became more intense and he felt an odd pressure that he could feel was impeding him, holding him carefully away from climax. His body shuddered wantonly.

_"What other effects did the sealing charm have?"_

_"It…it made it so that…"_

Kyouka Suigetsu's voice broke in again.

_"You cannot tell him that you can command each others' zanpakutous. He would know we are working together."_

_"I have to give him something."_

_"Tell him about the baby."_

_"But…"_

_"Tell him."_

_"But you know that it will only be our child if…"_

_"I know. Assume for the moment that we will be successful, that we will free him from the hougyoku. If you make that assumption, then it is not a lie that you carry his child. The one inside you will only become his executioner if we fail…and if that happens, then we will not survive either. One way or another, we will put the new king on the throne…whether it is Aizen Sousuke or his executioner depends on our success in destroying the hougyoku. Tell him. Tell him about the child. It will make him protect you."_

The zanpakutou's voice faded and Aizen's returned.

_"Byakuya, what else does the sealing charm do?"_

A sudden wave of intense heat flashed over him, shocking a cry of surprise from his momentarily released lips.

_"It…"_

_"Careful now, my love. This is becoming dangerous. I don't know that continuing beyond this won't affect your mind, even once I release you. Your resistance is very erotic, but you are nearing exhaustion, both physically and mentally."_

_"Do you even know how much I despise you?"_

He could feel the rogue shinigami's smile even though he couldn't see it.

_"Yes, I do feel your hatred, Byakuya, but right now, it is beautifully blended with your passion. I don't think anyone but me has ever seen that passion inside you in full living color like this. You have no idea how crushingly attractive you are like this…locked in place, overwhelmed, shaking and sweat drenched, with eyes that look dangerous enough to kill on their own, an acid tongue that threatens, but cannot deliver. Black on white…fire and ice…pain and pleasure…hatred and passion…a beastly heart and undeniable beauty. Byakuya, you conquer me. And so, I will say something to you I have never said to another living soul."_

_"No, don't_!" Byakuya cried, suddenly shattering Aizen's hold on him.

The kido holding him in place exploded and Kyouka Suigetsu's power over him faded. He tore free of the rogue shinigami and backed away on his knees. Aizen's brown eyes watched in surprise as they knelt on opposite ends of the bed, their eyes locked on each other. The noble's slender, naked body shook with pent up emotion and his eyes threatened to tear. His arms wrapped around his midsection and his breast rose and fell erratically as he struggled to slow his breathing. Very slowly, Aizen moved to close the distance between them. He knelt in front of the distressed noble and took Byakuya's face in his hands, letting his fingers sink into the silken black hair. His brown eyes gentled and found the gray ones that looked back at him warily, as though, with those two words, he had betrayed everything he had meant to hide.

"Byakuya," Aizen said quietly, "are you always so resistant to someone trying to confess his love to you?"

Byakuya felt the tentative brush of Kyouka Suigetsu, then Senbonzakura on his mind.

"_Byakuya, are you all right_?" they asked together.

"_You know that the hougyoku would see love between us as a threat. It would grow stronger. If it grows too strong, it will break the seal too soon. If it does so before we reach the spirit dimension, he will kill us before we have the means to defend ourselves."_

_"_We must not be distracted from our mission," Byakuya said, meeting Aizen's eyes wearily, "And in any case, I would not have you lay a deadly curse on yourself."

_"_What?" said Aizen, his lips quirking, "What do you mean?"

"Only three people have ever said those words to me, Sousuke. And all three of those people are dead. And as much as I despise you, I need you alive…to protect our king, and to be a father to our child."

The rogue shinigami's eyes widened and he caught his breath sharply. He stared into the tired gray eyes to be sure he had heard those precise words.

"Our…child?" he repeated, trying to convince himself.

The realization spread over him slowly.

"That's why you have been so out of sorts," he mused, "The nausea, vomiting, dizziness, moodiness…although you're moody anyway. Byakuya, this is…it's…really rather incredible."

"It is an effect of the sealing charm," Byakuya admitted quietly.

"That is amazing. But, why not just tell me? Why wait until I dragged it out of you? You knew I would be protective of my own child. You wanted to be protected, so why wouldn't you tell me sooner_?"_

Byakuya shook his head slightly.

"I don't know. I wasn't sure that we would be successful. It wasn't a given that it would happen, only a possibility. And in any case, I feared it would distract you from our mission."

Aizen smiled.

"You really do have an oddly deep devotion to your king, ne?"

He let go of the noble's face and slipped his arms around him, bringing their lips together with easy pressure.

"That is why I was chosen," Byakuya whispered against his lips, "It was necessary that the one chosen should unfailingly defend the king."

_And either you, or this spirit growing inside me will be that king._

Aizen laughed softly.

"Enough about kings and duty. Damn any curses that wait to pounce on us, Byakuya. If you want me to hold back the words, then I will, but you have left me with a longing for you. And despite how weary I know you must be after that little interrogation, I hope you don't mind if I indulge."

"Would it matter if I did?" the noble asked dryly, as he was lowered onto his back.

"No."

The rogue shinigami smiled and a hand slid down Byakuya's body and touched the restraining ring he had placed on the noble's length to deny him release during the questioning. He moved his fingers, disturbing it and then enjoying the strong reaction.

"I wonder if I should remove this," he said, watching as anger rose again in Byakuya's lovely gray eyes, "If I do, you might become resistant again."

His smile widened.

"But if I don't, I think you might suffer a nervous breakdown. You're quite high-strung, aren't you?"

Aizen hardened at the return of rage to the noble's fine features. He laid his hotter flesh against Byakuya's, feeding him hard kisses and moaning contentedly at the strength of noble's mouth on his and the way his body arched upward, seeking pleasure. He rubbed his length along Byakuya's and laughed inwardly as the noble bit his lips to withhold his reaction. He slipped his fingers into Byakuya's mouth and was less than surprised when the noble's teeth nipped them sharply in defiance, before embracing them more intimately and coating them in saliva. He ran them down the long white torso, between his parted thighs, and found the noble's entrance. Moving with teasing slowness, he took his time preparing Byakuya, then removed his fingers and watched the beautiful, riled face as he worked his way inside in short, heady thrusts. When fully inside, he stopped and gave the noble a deeply affectionate smile.

"I will remove it now, but I must warn you, the repression of your release might make you extra responsive. Not that I mind, but it could be overwhelming for you."

"One thing I can promise you with all honesty," Byakuya hissed softly, "is that I will never be overwhelmed by the likes of you!"

"Good," Aizen whispered back, "I wouldn't want anyone who gave in too easily."

Byakuya gasped and shut his eyes tightly as the restraining ring around his inflamed member was suddenly released and Aizen's body took his in fast, deep thrusts. He clenched teeth, fingers and even toes in rebellion, but pleasure overtook him, wrested his control away and sent him falling into sweet oblivion. He could hear, but couldn't stop the ringing cries that escaped him as his body seized and tremulously surrendered to bliss. Hot fluid erupted from him in long, gripping pulses. The breath left him, sight and hearing faded and he disappeared into the rush of sensations, the relentless, roiling emotions, only to return gradually as Aizen's heat flooded him inside and coaxed him back again. Cool hands touched his face and softened lips met his in the slow, gentle kisses of afterglow. Finally, he opened his eyes and met the ones that gazed down at him, waiting for the expected sly sarcasm. He was taken by surprise all over again when Aizen simply smiled, lifted himself, then lowered himself again to place a kiss on the noble's abdomen. He rolled onto his back, pulling Byakuya along. The noble allowed himself the faintest of smiles and curled into his soul-bonded's arms. Burying his face beneath Aizen's chin, he quickly fell asleep.

Aizen turned his head and burrowed into the noble's soft, sakura scented hair and began to drift off as well. As he neared sleep, he felt Byakuya stir and flinch. He felt a burning sensation in his chest and heard a distant voice hiss softly in his mind.

_Lies…do not listen to his lies. He will betray you. Only I will be true to your desires. When he lets you out of the archive, leave him behind. You must find a way to unseal me. Then, we can force him to take us to the king._

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurotsuchi Mayuri did not like anyone making a fool of him. Possessed of a wicked, hateful mind, genius intelligence and a tendency towards devilishness, he used his talents, not just for the benefits of science and the Gotei 13, but also to make sure that when someone ran afoul of him, that person only had the privilege of doing so once.

He studied the samples, one now identified as Aizen Sousuke's, and the other partially revealed. His fingers flew over the computer keys and his eyes flicked about excitedly as the partial sample was compared to DNA samples of all taichou level shinigamis. As before, the program concluded that the samples were too degraded. But he fed the resulting pattern into another program that collected and arranged all known information to create a criminal profile. Then, he compared the profile to each possible suspect. The process took him well into early morning, but as morning broke over the Seireitei, the twelfth division taichou's cackling laughter shattered the peace of the morning around him.

"I knew it! Haha, I was right! I knew…and now I can prove it!"

"Mayuri-sama," said Nemu, "Mayuri-sama, is something wrong?"

"Shut up, you useless troll!" he snapped, "Go and finish what I told you to do!"

He turned away from her and held up the picture and profile that emerged from the computer.

"Thought you could escape, did you? So cocky and so sure of yourself that you just remained around to watch us search in vain?"

His voice grew deeper and more threatening.

"Well, my very slippery friend," he hissed, "I have you now, don't I? Now, all that remains is how best to slip the noose around your lovely white throat. You have seen the last of your days as a free man, Kuchiki Byakuya!"

He considered issuing a general alert, but imagined that, as intelligent as Kuchiki taichou was, he would be likely to escape something so telegraphed. He furrowed his brow, glaring at Byakuya's profile and thinking carefully.

"You are too smart to just be taken in under general alert orders. You have remained in the Seireitei, which likely means that your boyfriend, Aizen Sousuke is here somewhere too. And I am guessing that since you went to such trouble to free him, you will not simply surrender upon being revealed. Hmmm…"

He thought for a moment, then summoned a hell butterfly.

_"Yamamoto Soutaichou, I have made a significant discovery related to the escape of Aizen Sousuke. I wish to give new information to the taichous and fukutaichous in a general meeting, but because the person who did this may be among us, I prefer not to reveal the nature of the meeting until all are gathered. I promise you, what I have to reveal is very telling. You will want to have the second division prepared to assist in case the person in question decides to flee. I will come to speak with you immediately, as you requested, so that we can prepare to apprehend the one responsible."_

He narrowed his eyes and took a last seething look at Byakuya's profile, before folding it carefully and tucking it away in his sleeve. He disappeared in a flash step, leaving Nemu staring silently after him.


	7. The Parting 2

**Chapter 7: The Parting**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Do not set your heart on the wild storm wind. It riles the lengths of your hair, but cuts through to the bone. Trust not the falling rain. It will turn to ice and leave you in fever. Love not the moon, for it comes and goes heartlessly. And envy not the petal that floats down from the tree. It will only be trampled. Whisper no promises into my ear, because I promise you that I will never believe you.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen Sousuke's mind was one that brilliantly analyzed people. In a shockingly short amount of time, he had what he wanted from most people and was on to the next, the former forgotten as soon as they left his field of vision. But Kuchiki Byakuya was not that kind of person. Perhaps he _had_ been the first time the former taichou had laid eyes on him. Yet, even if so, he wasn't now.

_But no,_ the rogue shinigami reminded himself, _Byakuya caught my attention, even back when he would have been scandalously young._

They had shared an interest in calligraphy, and once or twice, he had come upon the youth sitting somewhere alone, a brush in his gracefully moving hand, a calm gray eye following the flawless curves and lines as he worked his way down the page. One day in particular, he had stopped for a moment as he passed, seeing that the Kuchiki heir was struggling with a particularly complex exercise. His fingers brushed the soft, pale skin of the noble's hand as he surrendered his brush for a moment, and the gray eyes had sought his elder's questioningly.

Aizen had been taken by surprise. Because few would have thought that Byakuya would sit for five minutes barely moving, deeply concentrating, his reiatsu calm and focused and his eyes almost dreamy. The other captains called him a spoiled brat, childish and undisciplined. They had no idea this other side of him existed, even back then.

He had thought, even so many years ago that the scent of sakura was pleasing, that the boy's wide gray eyes were beautiful and that it would have been a pleasure to remain close to him as he grew into manhood. He had, of course, abandoned the idea as useless. Byakuya was a noble and future clan leader. Despite the attraction, such a relationship wouldn't have been worth the struggle to make it work.

He was kicking himself now for that rash decision, but he didn't consider it so much his fault as the fault of fate that placed Byakuya in a noble family and him in a poor family of the Rukongai. It may not have been the only force behind his hatred of the noble class in general, but it certainly didn't help.

_Still,_ he thought, watching Byakuya sleep with his head rested comfortably on the rogue shinigami's chest, _his noble lineage is what made him so beautiful, so there is something redeeming about the noble class._

"_But," _said a soft whisper in his mind, _"there are plenty of beautiful people. He is lovely and sensually pleasing, of course, but he is also deceptive and deeply devoted to the king we would kill."_

Aizen sighed.

"This again," he breathed softly, "You know I can't leave him yet."

He felt the hougyoku pulse gently beneath the seal.

"_Perhaps not now, but once we are out of this archive. We should never have let him trap us in here!"_

"_We will be gone from here soon and on our way to the Valley of Whispers."_

"_If you can find it. You haven't found the information yet. And that is not our most important mission. We must return to Las Noches and find a way to destroy this seal. I tire of being only a voice. You do not listen to me, anyway."_

"_Patience," _his mind whispered to the artifact, _"We will be on our way soon."_

"_Without the excess baggage, perhaps?"_

"_Perhaps. We shall see."_

The hougyoku went silent as Byakuya stirred in Aizen's arms and moaned softly. He made a sound of discomfort and dragged himself to his feet, flash stepping across the room and dropping to his knees on the bathroom floor. He emptied his stomach violently, then fell back, making a sound of surprise as his soul-bonded's arms wrapped around him from behind, and a warm hand rubbed light circles on his abdomen.

"You really are with child, ne?" Aizen said softly, kissing the pale skin at the juncture of shoulder and throat.

"Did you think I was lying?" Byakuya asked, looking down to where Aizen's palm rested on his abdomen, "Why would I make up such a thing?"

"Hmmm…" Aizen sighed brushing a soft cheek against the noble's, "Might as well ask why you obeyed an order to break the Seireitei's most notorious criminal out of Central 46…or why you allowed yourself to be soul bonded to one you despise."

"I told you. I did everything I did…"

"…at the directive of the king," Aizen finished, sounding discomfited, "Perhaps I should have questioned you further before letting you loose…but then I don't know that you wouldn't have burst from pent-up desire."

"Sousuke," Byakuya said in a quivering voice, "I am already sick to my stomach. Please do not make it worse."

Aizen laughed softly and lifted the noble into his arms. He carried Byakuya out of the bathroom and placed him back in bed, arranging the covers and giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"Would it help to have a cup of tea?" he asked, "I'll make you some."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed.

"Just don't put anything in it."

"Byakuya!" the rogue shinigami said reprovingly, "I am not going to take advantage of you having morning sickness."

He leaned in and pressed his lips to the noble's ear.

"There will be plenty of time for taking advantage after you have rested and are feeling better."

"Snake," hissed the noble, fighting to keep the frown on his lips.

"Maybe," Aizen agreed, "But I don't hear you complaining when I'm thrust deep inside you, striking that lovely little spot that makes you emit such wonderful sounds as I've never heard before. And don't get me started on those beautifully flushed cheeks…"

"Ugh," groaned the noble, "Leave me alone, please!"

"Are you really so sure you want to get rid of me, Byakuya? Who else has ever made you have a screaming orgasm?"

"You are going to make me throw up again," the noble warned him, paling slightly, "I don't want to think about you touching me."

"No…" breathed Aizen, "You just want it to happen repeatedly without either of us wasting time with words at all, ne?"

"Go away…" groaned the noble, turning towards the wall, "You are horrible!"

Aizen chuckled warmly and left to make the tea. When he returned several minutes later, Byakuya was sleeping soundly, wrapped around several pillows and wearing a peaceful, serene expression.

"Lovely," he whispered, setting the tea on the nightstand and stopping to stare at him for a moment.

"_If you are finished playing with your toy, could we get back to work now? I want to be out of this place_."

"_Don't tell me it's giving you morning sickness too…"_

"_Hardly," the hougyoku whispered dryly in his mind, "I am just sickened seeing you play house with the likes of him."_

"_Oh, it's not serious," _Aizen thought dismissively, _"It's just a source of great enjoyment while I'm here."_

But beneath the cockiness, he wasn't so sure. It felt different now when he touched Byakuya. He _felt_ more. And despite his barbed tongue, Byakuya was _responding_ to him. And maybe, he thought to himself, that was why the hougyoku was unsettled. It seemed he was attaching himself to a weaker being. It could make him vulnerable. And the hougyoku was only trying to remind him that he couldn't allow that to happen. He had to be sure that his games with Byakuya didn't become too serious. But as he slipped into the bed next to the noble and rested a hand on Byakuya's abdomen, he wondered if they already had. He shook his head to clear it and found himself gazing at a hell butterfly. He nudged the sleeping noble and Byakuya sat up, rubbing his eyes and still looking adorably sleepy.

_All taichous and fukutaichous are to report to the first division for a priority one special meeting to discuss updated information regarding the escape of Aizen Sousuke._

"Oh…gods," sighed Byakuya, "I can't do this anymore. I'm exhausted."

"Come now," said Aizen, handing him the cup of hot tea, "You just need a little tea and to get up and around and you will feel more like yourself. Besides, we've been anxious to know if they've learned anything new."

"I doubt it," sighed Byakuya, "Kurotsuchi taichou probably just wants to browbeat us all and see if he can make anyone crumble. It's cheap using a priority one meeting call for something so trivial."

"Maybe it's not so trivial," suggested Aizen, "They _might_ have found something. In any case, we need to know…so come on. Let's get you on your feet."

"I hate you."

"I know."

Frowning, Byakuya stumbled to the closet and pulled out his uniform. He felt annoyed at the imperfect state it was in. But there was hardly time to have it addressed before the start of the meeting. Aizen watched quietly as he slipped into his shihakushou and tied it at the waist, slid his hands into the fingerless gloves, wound the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu around his long throat, then brushed out his silken black hair and worked the kenseiken into the troubled lengths.

"What's wrong?" he asked Aizen, noting the less than pleased expression, "I know it isn't in perfect order and the waistband is getting tight, but…"

"It wasn't that at all," the rogue shinigami said, smiling, "I love how you look all dressed out like that, but…I just think you look much better naked."

"You would, you sick…"

"Now Byakuya, what a way to leave your soul bonded! Buried beneath a pile of insults. You know what they say. Any moment could be your last. We wouldn't want to end things badly, ne?"

He blinked in surprise at the sudden drop in the noble's reiatsu and the sober look on his face.

"Are you going to leave me, Sousuke?" he said softly.

Aizen smiled.

"How can I? You have me locked away in here, ne?" he asked.

Byakuya shook his head slightly.

"I have never left you locked in when attending a meeting."

He looked away.

"In case that is the meeting in which I am arrested, I would want you to be able to escape."

Aizen stared at him in surprise.

"That's…quite touching. I have to admit, I am surprised, though."

"It's perfectly sensible," explained the noble, "If I get captured, I need you to free me."

Aizen's face sobered.

"It seems I was not quite correct in my estimation of you, Byakuya."

He stepped closer and took the noble's solemn face in his hands.

"Perhaps it is because the sweetest lips often tell the most bitter lies and the most beguiling of beauties leads so often to treachery."

Byakuya's eyes met his in a rare moment of warmth.

"It must be difficult, living in a world without trust, Sousuke. No wonder you were lonely."

He paused for a moment, his hand straying to the medallion at his throat. He took a soft inhale, then slowly slipped the medallion from around his neck and turned towards Aizen.

"Let this be a sign of our trust," he said, slipping the medallion around his throat, "Keep this for now, as a symbol of our connection. It doesn't have monetary value, but it is a family heirloom. Keep it for me, Sousuke."

Aizen frowned thoughtfully and touched the gold medallion with curious fingertips.

"Byakuya," he said quietly, "Why are you giving me this?"

"I told you," the noble said softly, "It is a family heirloom and it is a sign of my trust."

There was a long moment of silence between them.

"I have to go," the noble said finally, turning away.

Aizen watched in silence as he walked towards the door.

"Byakuya," he said softly.

The noble turned.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji stood in his place in the first division, what would be a step behind Byakuya's right shoulder if his taichou was present. It wasn't like Byakuya to be late. And the meeting was scheduled to start in just a few more minutes. He sighed in relief as he spotted the noble coming through the door and turning in his direction, his personal attendant at his side.

"Hey Torio," Renji greeted the attendant, "You been taking care of Taichou?"

"Hai," the youth said, "He is doing better since he took a few days away from his duties at the sixth division, but I think he could still use another day or two."

"Enough chatter, you two," Byakuya said quietly as Soutaichou entered the room.

Byakuya felt a chill slice through him at the way Kurotsuchi taichou was looking at him. He tried to tell himself that it was just his imagination and not to worry about it, but as the doors closed and everyone stood ready in their places, the locks on the door clicked loudly and suddenly everyone in the room was frozen in place.

"What the hell!" Renji yelled, "What's going on!"

"Likely just some grandstanding by Kurotsuchi taichou," Byakuya said calmly, "Don't make a fuss, Abarai."

But others around the room were making sounds of surprise as well.

"Silence!" said Soutaichou sternly, "Kurotsuchi taichou, you said that you had an announcement to make."

More sounds of dismay erupted as the twelfth division taichou stepped forward and walked to the center of the room.

"You may wonder," he said, narrowing his eyes, "why you have been restrained. The reason we have taken these precautions is because a suspect has emerged in the case of Aizen Sousuke's disappearance."

He turned slowly, letting his eyes run slowly around the ones gathered in the room.

"I went back to the samples that were found at the Central 46 crime scene. I ran them through the computer, but unfortunately could not match them to a person, as they were too degraded. However, I was able to use a different program into which I entered all of the facts of the case. It was a laborious task to be sure…but when it was done, a clear profile emerged. I took that profile and compared it to all of the possible suspects, another very involved task. But one person emerged as the only clear suspect. You will remember," he said, stepping towards Byakuya, "I said that the person who committed this crime was taichou level, that he had a detailed knowledge of Central 46, that he left DNA evidence at the scene. The sample may have been too degraded to make a specific identification, but it did reveal a damning fact. The person who broke into Central 46, who worked his way past the guards and locked doors, unbound Aizen Sousuke and had sex with him in his cell, prior to escaping…was of noble descent!"

He reached Byakuya and stared into the noble's eyes accusingly.

"Kuchiki taichou, you are under arrest for breaking into Central 46, for aiding in the escape of Aizen Sousuke, and for concealing the criminal to help him escape the forces seeking to recapture him!"

"You're crazy!" shouted Renji, "You're out of your fucking mind! Taichou would never do that! He hated Aizen Sousuke for what he did to Rukia! He wouldn't help that bastard escape! Tell him, Taichou!"

"No other taichou or fukutaichou level emerged as anything near as closely matched as Kuchiki taichou. He is, beyond doubt, the perpetrator!"

The field holding the shinigamis still released, except for the one that held Byakuya in place. The noble stared into Kurotsuchi taichou's eyes calmly.

"Your evidence is circumstantial," he said quietly, "You have no proof I have done anything wrong."

"Take Kuchiki taichou into custody!" ordered Soutaichou, "He is to be removed to the Repentance Center at once!"

"This is nuts," Renji said in a bewildered voice, "Taichou…Taichou, he's wrong, isn't he?"

He moved forward and looked into the noble's eyes.

"Please tell me that you didn't do this," he whispered, "Taichou…"

"Renji," Byakuya said quietly, "I have not forgotten my promise to you. Now, pray do not forget your promises to me."

Renji stepped back, numb to the core and unable to speak as Byakuya's hands were bound and he was led away. He left the first division, avoiding the sympathetic eyes of Ukitake Taichou and Kyouraku taichou, and the calls of Kira and Shuuhei for him to stop. He started back towards the sixth division in a daze, unable to believe what was happening.

"Oh shit, Rukia!" he gasped, "She's going to be…"

He looked around briefly for Torio, but the noble's personal attendant had disappeared.

"Damn…" he said, flash stepping towards Kuchiki Manor, "Taichou, what's going on?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya breathed a sigh of relief as he reached the archive and stepped inside. He smiled in gratitude for Sousuke's insistence that he attend the meeting in the guise of his attendant. That little deception had enabled him to escape.

But it also meant that they could no longer stay within the archive. As soon as the decoy Kyoka Suigetsu provided by way of illusion stepped into the Repentance Center, the illusion would fail and his deception would be exposed. They had to reach Hueco Mundo before anyone realized they had escape the Seireitei.

"Sousuke!" he called urgently, flash stepping into the library and gathering the information that they had collected, "Sousuke, you were right. They did arrest me. Thank goodness for the illusion or they would have…"

He broke off, looking around.

"Sousuke?" he called again.

He caught his breath sharply and quickly searched the archive. As he did, an alert sounded loudly.

_Attention! Attention! Convicted criminal Aizen Sousuke has been sensed in the central senkaimon! All Squad Two troops report to the central senkaimon for full instructions._

"Kami no!" hissed Byakuya wide-eyed, "If he…"

He immediately opened his family senkaimon and flash stepped into the precipice world. His reiatsu burned hotly through his spirit centers as he shot through the precipice and dropped down into the living world near Urahara Kisuke's shop. He didn't slow, but continued at top speed until he reached the shop. He heard raised voices inside and sensed flashes of power. Quickly, he ran into the shop and headed for the training room. He dropped down into the room, just in time to see the garganta snap shut behind Aizen Sousuke.

"Damn it!" yelled Kisuke, "The bastard got through!"

"Open the gate!" Byakuya said quickly, "I will go after him!"

He flash stepped forward and was surprised when Kisuke turned and set himself between the noble and the garganta.

"Sorry, Kuchiki-san," he said in a low, dangerous voice, "but I already know that you were the son of a bitch who set that bastard free! You are not going anywhere. Tessai, inform Soutaichou that we have captured Kuchiki Byakuya!"

"But…boss," objected Tessai, "They have already apprehended Kuchiki taichou!"

"That's not true," called Yoruichi, flash stepping into the training room, "Word just arrived from the Seireitei that the 'Byakuya' that they arrested was a decoy."

"So how do we know this one is the real one?" asked Tessai, "This could be another fake."

"Following right on Aizen's heels?" Kisuke said angrily, "I doubt it. You two watch him. Don't let him out of your sight! I am reporting this."

Yoruichi watched as Kisuke flash stepped away. Tessai remained a respectful distance away, but close enough to intervene if it became necessary.

"You're in up to your neck, aren't you, Byakuya-bo?" Yoruichi asked, shaking her head.

Byakuya met her eyes meaningfully.

"I am following a divine order," he breathed just loudly enough for the cat woman to hear.

Yoruichi blinked in surprise.

"A divine order?" she repeated softly.

"My grandfather delivered it personally. I cannot speak of it to the others, but because you understand the sensitivity of the information, I can reveal it to you. Yoruichi, you _must _help me! I have to get out of here and into Hueco Mundo. If I am captured, my mission will fail, and I will be executed. Please. You must believe me!"

"Right this way, Kurotsuchi taichou," Kisuke's voice said, "You were right. As soon as all hell broke loose, Aizen ran through here and Byakuya was right on his heels."

"Yoruichi!" Byakuya said desperately.

The purple haired woman watched as Kisuke and the twelfth division taichou dropped down into the training room. Tessai's head turned, and in that moment, Yoruichi smiled and turned her head.

Byakuya's power blazed suddenly around him and the garganta opened ahead of him.

"Damn it! Stop, you traitor!" shouted the twelfth division taichou furiously. He quickly withdrew something from his haori and fired it at the fleeing noble. Byakuya shot into the garganta and closed it behind him. He flash stepped wildly as the ones following opened it again behind him. He ran at top speed now, knowing that Yoruichi was likely the only one who would hold back at all. And she couldn't hold back much for fear of being named an accomplice. But he appeared to be in luck. He quickly outdistanced the pursuit and flash stepped down into the desert. He continues to run for a time until he was far enough from the crossover point to assume he had eluded pursuit. An odd numbness was stealing over him and the feeling of illness was returning. He wondered if perhaps it was because of his pregnancy, but then noticed a stinging sensation in the back of one shoulder. Reaching towards the area, his hands found a small dart. He stared at it for a moment, then realized what it must mean.

His eyes closed for a moment in distress, and he thought carefully about his options. He knew Kurotsuchi taichou well enough to know that the dart held a deadly poison. The question was, how much time he had before he lost consciousness or worse…

"Damn it…" he whispered, looking in the direction of Las Noches.

He already felt his body reacting to the toxin. He turned toward the fortress and threw himself into flash steps desperate to reach it in time.


	8. Oblivion

**Chapter 8: Oblivion**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**I cling to the future desperately, my hands torn from the forces of fate that seek to separate us. Things are not as they were meant to be and I fear to breathe, so far into uncertainty I have fallen. You reach into the abyss and take my hand, but to hold on to you, I must let go of all else…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya was not a man who surrendered to desperation often. An iron will, strict internal discipline and a life defined by expectation made him approach the unknown with a calm, focused demeanor. He decided what he was required to do to reach the expected result and he pursued it relentlessly. Once he dedicated himself to a task, he almost always finished (Rukia's execution being a rare and welcome exception). He was a person of decisiveness and action. But poisoned and in danger of losing both his child's life and his own, he abandoned reason and focused on only one emotion driven goal…closing the distance between himself and his soul bonded before the poison in his system brought him down.

It went without saying that to fall short would be the end of everything. If he fell too soon, even if he managed to avoid being eaten by whatever hollow or hollows came across his collapsed form, the poison inside him would steal away reiatsu and life quickly. His already limited reiatsu was dropping at an alarming rate, forcing him to open his spirit centers wide and risk burning them with the pressure of the huge amount of power being forced through them all at once. And firing himself so heedlessly across the dark sands, his body lit up like a beacon and was likely to attract every hollow within a hundred miles of him. In addition, a careless step or turn could land him in the middle of something he no longer had the ability to get himself out of.

But his mind refused to receive any of that brutal logic. He felt Aizen's presence within the fortress ahead of him, and despite having been so recently abandoned by the rogue shinigami, he had to hope that a true threat to life, limb and offspring would bring the man to his senses and make him realize just what was at stake. Because he didn't believe for a moment that the choice to leave was Aizen's alone. The hougyoku viewed him as an enemy, and now that that was so, he would have to fight it every step of the way from where he was, into the spirit dimension.

But he didn't have the time to concern himself with the hougyoku right now. He poured the last of his power into his flash step, blazing across the cold sand fast enough to leave a fire trail, gaining the outer courtyard and sliding to a stop.

Hollows filled the area around the fortress, not seeming to even notice him as he drew near. They seemed instead to be focused on trying to break in. All around the fortress boundary, a golden shield had risen, and though they attacked furiously, they could not break through. He angled for a section where there were no hollows attacking and, though his mind screamed at him to hurry, he paused to test the shield. To his relief, it did not impede him…and once he was inside, he was no longer in danger from the hollows. He found himself just inside the large double entry doors on black marble floor. As he stood for a moment, casting about for his soul bonded's reiatsu, a flash step sounded at the top of the stairs and Aizen appeared there. The rogue shinigami gazed down at him and smiled.

"My apologies for leaving you so unexpectedly, my love, but I remembered that the library here was well apportioned and would be more likely to yield the information we needed. I judged you to be resourceful enough to elude pursuit and to arrive here on your own, and apparently, I was not mistaken."

He broke off, staring as Byakuya swayed unsteadily.

"Byakuya," he said, his smile fading, "are you all right?"

The noble said nothing in return, but simply collapsed as Aizen flash stepped forward and caught him, then lowered him gently to the floor.

"Were you attacked by hollows?" Aizen asked quickly.

"No," whispered Byakuya, looking up at him through half-closed eyes.

"Then…"

"P-poisoned."

He noticed suddenly that the noble's hand was wrapped tightly around something and he pried the clenched hand open. His fingers wound around the body of the dart and he lifted it and studied it carefully. He shook his head in disgust.

"Kurotsuchi taichou," he hissed angrily, "you stealthy bastard!"

He lifted Byakuya's frighteningly limp body and flash stepped to the infirmary. Setting him down on an examination table, Aizen leaned over him and touched his face gently.

"I have to place you in suspended animation to make time to identify the poison," he explained quickly, "Gin was as skillful with poisons as the twelfth division taichou and he created an analysis program to protect us in case we were attacked by poisons. Rekax, now. You will be all right, I promise."

Byakuya managed a short nod and his eyes drifted closed. Aizen placed his hands on the noble's chest and raised a white reiatsu field around him. As the white power rose around his body, Byakuya went still. Aizen focused deeply, surrounding the poisoned taichou with power, then letting it sink into him, freezing all of his systems and leaving him in a state of perfect suspension. He left the noble surrounded in the white field and flash stepped out of the room and down the hallway to Gin's lab. Like most of the fortress, the lab had been left in disarray as the hollows swarmed it after his arrest. But he was fortunate to have warned Gin to carefully protect the most valuable things in a secret chamber within his lab. He moved to the secret entrance and passed through. He sighed in relief at finding the hidden room intact and untouched. He quickly located the silver-haired shinigami's computer and spent the next several hours pouring over everyting he could find regarding analysis of poison.

Just when he was beginning to grow concerned that he might be unable to find it, he stumbled across the analysis program Gin had set in place to protect them. He slipped the dart he had taken from the noble into an analysis chamber attached to the computer and waited for the results.

"The poison contains three active compounds. The first attacks the central nervous system, rendering the subject unable to move. The second is a strong hallucinogen to assist in interrogation. The final effect causes the reiatsu to seep away, weakening the body, then gradually causes the body's systems to fail, resulting in a slow, painful death if not counteracted," he read.

He moved on to the identification of the exact compounds. The first two proved to be relatively common and easy to counteract, but he paused at the analysis of the third.

"Final compound name and origin…unknown original compound. No known counteractive agent."

He placed a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes, drawing a breath and releasing it, then searching the computer's memory until he found another analysis program. He entered the data again and the program acknowledged the entered information.

"Program analyzing…please wait," he whispered.

As he waited, he pored over the remaining analysis programs and found none more detailed or current than the one he was using, which told him that if it didn't work, then he would be forced to come up with another answer. To save time, he began to consider what that other answer might be. His first thought was, of course, Orihime, but getting to the living world required use of the garganta, which the hollows who had captured the fortress after his departure had altered to prevent him from using it. He would, of course, regain use of it again, but it was taking time to come up with the encryption they had used to protect it. And in any case, Kurotsuchi was likely to be keeping a close eye on the girl. He would have anticipated that Aizen's first move if Byakuya reached him would be to seek out the girl. A quick scan for her reiatsu placed her at Kisuke's and under heavy guard.

He sighed in frustration.

"There has to be another…" he whispered.

He thought back to the Espada, most of whom were killed in his attempt to create the king's key.

"Hmmm…"

He ran a computer check, searching the records for living Arrancar with poison resistance or counteractive abilities. The search yielded three results. He traced the reiatsu pattern of the first and found it had faded, meaning the Arrancar was probably dead, but it hadn't been confirmed. The second was a witch hollow in the deep northern desert. He caught his breath sharply as he read the final entry.

"Nel," he whispered.

He searched for her reiatsu and was both surprised and relieved to find it, not only close, but within the prison area of the fortress.

"Convicted of aiding the enemy…"

The computer console beeped and he looked down at the results of the poison scan.

"Unable to locate counteractive agent," he hissed, "Damn…"

He left Gin's hidden room and flash stepped back to the infirmary to check on the suspended noble. He still lay unmoving in the white field. A quick check of his systems, made the blood go cold in the rogue shinigami's veins.

"This can't be," he whispered, "With his systems suspended…"

_But then, just because his body had been placed in suspension didn't mean that the poison had necessarily been stopped. The final, unidentified compound had continued to seep into his spellbound body, leaving his reiatsu frighteningly depleted and positioning itself to attack Byakuya's major organs as soon as they were brought back into use. He sighed softly, expecting that the baby's systems would likely have been similarly affected._

"What's this?" he murmured, looking at the results of the scan on the developing baby.

Oddly, where Byakuya's own reiatsu had seeped away, something appeared to have wrapped around the cluster of reiatsu in the noble's abdomen and was protecting the child. He started a more thorough scan to identify the source of whatever it was wrapped around the reiatsu cluster, but then, realizing that time was an issue, he flash stepped out of the hidden room and down to the prison level.

"_Why do you burden yourself?" _the hougyoku asked softly, _"You must realize that he is doomed. And even if he isn't, you lower yourself by continuing to cling to him. He is dying. Let him go."_

He ignored the voice and continued through the cellblock, finding only empty cells or cells containing long dead shinigamis and hollows. He was nearly ready to admit defeat when he heard soft voices ahead of him. He came upon two cells with several arrancars within one, and a lone Espada in another.

"So…you escaped them?" asked a low, angry voice, "Why did you come back here? Did you think we would be stupid enough to ever trust you again?"

"Grimmjow," Aizen said quietly, "I told you not to trust me in the first place."

"Huh…" huffed the bitter Espada.

"Why are you here?" asked Aizen.

"Because I allowed the substitute shinigami to defeat me," answered the sixth Espada.

Aizen gazed at the hollow for a moment.

"I will let you out," he said quietly, "but do not dare to attack me or you will die in an eyeblink. You know better than to question that, I think."

"I would rather rot in here for all eternity than be rescued by the likes of you," growled Grimmjow.

Aizen shook his head dismissively and unlocked the cell. He turned to the other inhabited cell and opened it. Stepping inside, he found three living Arrancars huddled together and asleep.

"Nel," he said quietly.

A small child-sized hollow opened her eyes and looked up at the shinigami in surprise. The two fraccion beside her stirred, opened their eyes and jumped back in surprise.

"Y-you!" they gasped.

"Nel thought Aizen-sama was captured," the child said, gazing up at him with large, frightened eyes.

"I was," acknowledged the shinigami, "but I was fortunate enough to escape. I found out that you were imprisoned here and I came to free you and to ask for your help."

"Why the hell do you think for one minute that she would do anything for you after what you did to the rest of the Espada?" sneered Grimmjow from where he leaned against the door to Nel's cell, "You used us to wear down the shinigamis to make it easier on yourself. You didn't give a damn about what happened to us. And word got back to us about what you did to Harribel. Don't think we'll ever listen to you again. Ignore him, Nel."

"The help is not actually needed for me, but for a shinigami named Kuchiki Byakuya."

Nel's eyes widened.

"Who the fuck cares about some damned shinigami!" Grimmjow said angrily, "Nel, don't let him drag you into this!"

"B-but…did Aizen-sama say…Kuchiki?" Nel asked.

Aizen nodded.

"You may remember that one of the invaders that came with Kurosaki Ichigo was named Kuchiki Rukia. Byakuya is Rukia's brother. He is a taichou. He came here to rescue his sister."

"Nel remembers Rukia!" exclaimed Nel, "Rukia was important to Ichigo! And Nel saw Rukia's big brother when he and that scary shinigami fought Yammy! Now Rukia's big brother is poisoned?"

"Yes, Byakuya was attempting to reach me here in Las Noches, but as he entered the garganta, one of the other taichous hit him with a poisoned dart. I can counteract two components of the poison, but not the third. It is invading all of his systems, even though he is in a suspended state. It will kill him as soon as I reanimate him."

"And I ask again," said Grimmjow, "Why should Nel do anything for you? Obviously, if this taichou is with you, then he is a backstabbing traitor too, and deserves to die. I only wish you could. I would love to watch you die…painfully."

"I understand that desire," the shinigami acknowledged, "However, Byakuya is not actually _with_ me. He did free me, but because there is a threat to the spirit king and he needs me to assist him in obtaining an artifact located in the Valley of Whispers, here in Hueco Mundo."

He missed the flicker of recognition in Grimmjow's eyes.

"So," said Nel, "He agreed to free you if you helped him?"

"Yes."

"What a naïve fool," mused Grimmjow, "thinking for a moment that he could trust you to hold up your end of things."

Aizen's fingers touched the medallion Byakuya had given him and he frowned.

"He doesn't trust me. He is only using me to get this artifact and then he will attempt to abandon me and run for the spirit dimension. We are both clear on our paths."

"So…even if Nel heals him," said Grimmjow in a low voice, "You are only going to stab him in the back later, ne?"

"Well," said Aizen, meeting Grimmjow's eyes with challenge, "perhaps if Byakuya has someone to look out for him, my plans to betray him will not succeed."

Grimmjow shook his head.

"Don't do it, Nel. Don't let him drag you into this. He'll only kill you like he killed Harribel."

"No," said Aizen quietly, "I give you my word. If you assist us by healing and protecting Byakuya, then I will not kill you. I will, in fact, protect you for the duration of this mission."

"Huh," huffed Grimmjow, "Were you supposed to protect Byakuya too?"

Aizen's eyes darkened for a moment and his reiatsu flared. Grimmjow flinched.

"Do as you will, Grimmjow," he said shortly, "You are no longer confined. But I would suggest that you remain within the fortress. I expelled the hollows that opposed me, but they _are_ the same ones who imprisoned you, ne? I don't think they would welcome you with open arms."

He turned back to Nel.

"Will you help Byakuya?" he asked.

Nel glanced at her wide-eyed fraccion, then at the scowling Grimmjow. She bit her lip and nodded. Grimmjow let out a disgusted breath and disappeared in a flash step. Nel looked back at her fraccion.

"Dondachakka and Pesche should go and find us some food. Nel is starving."

The small girl turned and took Aizen's extended hand, then followed him out of the cellblock.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya had lost awareness of all but one thing. His own body had been compromised by Kurotsuchi's poison and he sensed that something had stopped the poison from killing him, though it had flooded all of his major organs. He still retained use of his mind. In fact, his mind was dreadfully clear. And that made sense, considering, the twelfth division taichou wouldn't have allowed him to die without first interrogating him. But he was not in the custody of the Gotei 13. He sensed that he had reached Aizen and that he had been immobilized, perhaps placed in suspension until a cure could be found. But knowing Kurotsuchi as he did, he didn't expect the cure to be found easily. He was encouraged by the fact that the poison had not yet killed him, but it was poised to do so as soon as he was awakened from the state he was in.

His own life, it seemed, was likely to be lost, but the life he protected inside him was still untouched. Because, as the poison had corrupted his systems, he had gathered all of his own life force and wrapped it tightly around the reaitsu cluster that was to be their child. And that force had proven strong enough to keep the poison from taking that last step.

_I cannot lose this child. Even though it will reduce me to a useless state and I will die upon the child's birth, still I cannot let the child go. Too much depends on him or her._

His heart ached at what had happened, but he forced himself to avoid thinking about how easily Aizen Sousuke had abandoned him. He didn't want to give in to the feelings of hopelessness and betrayal. He had known from the beginning that the hougyoku was going to affect his soul bonded's mind. And given that, he had been rash in allowing himself to rely on the rogue shinigami for anything. If he had been injured and if the child within him was lost, it was because of his own carelessness. The connections forged through their repeated couplings in the making of their child had affected his emotions. He had to admit that by the end, he had started to feel something deep and profound forming between them. But he had forgotten for a moment how dangerous the hougyoku was, even as just a suggestive voice in Aizen Sousuke's mind. And the device would only get more dangerous as time went on. In addition, Aizen himself was one who, although he seemed very lonely, would never risk becoming deeply attached to another. He viewed those attachments as 'weakness.' Byakuya had forgotten that for only a moment, and his current situation was the result of that.

_Yes, a snake could only ever be a snake. It didn't change its nature for that it was beautiful…and it was no less deadly when it looked into his eyes and he had foolishly let himself be enchanted…_

"_Byakuya-san," _said a girl's voice in his mind, _"Nel is going to stop the poison. Nel can stop the poison, but Byakuya-san must help. Byakuya-san has fused his life force with another. Nel cannot save both. The baby's reiatsu is placing too much strain on Byakuya-san's body. Byakuya-san must let go."_

"_But if I let go, the poison will reach the baby. The child's reiatsu isn't yet developed enough to fight such an assault. The child will not survive if I let go. You know that, don't you Nel?"_

"_But Nel cannot counteract the poison unless Byakuya-san lets go. Right now, Byakuya-san's body is rejecting everything that touches it, even Nel's healing power. This is because Byakuya-san is holding on to the baby's reiatsu so tightly that his body does not know the difference between good and bad things…so it pushes everything away. Byakuya-san's own reiatsu has faded, but his life force combines with the baby's reiatsu to hold the poison away."_

"_Then remove the baby's reiatsu from my body and once it is out and safe from the poison, I will let go."_

"_But if Nel removes the baby's reiatsu with Byakuya-san's life force wrapped around it, when Byakuya-san lets go, his life force will fade away. It can't survive with no body to hold it. Byakuya-san must let go!"_

"_No. You don't understand. This child has to survive. Everything depends on it. Nel, this child is a critical part of my mission. If one of us has to die, it must be me."_

"_But…Aizen-sama ordered Nel to save Byakuya-san…"_

"_No."_

Byakuya's heart froze as another voice reached him.

"_Byakuya, the loss of this child is a step backward, but it is not the end. You and Aizen can still complete the mission. You are protected here in Las Noches and you have time while you search for the location of the Valley of Whispers. Listen to Nel. Let go_."

Byakuya focused his mind on the warm feel of the reiatsu he had encircled. There was sentience within it, a developing consciousness. Full consciousness was still a ways off, but even so, the mind growing within the reiatsu had enough awareness to welcome his presence, to warm him with its soft, questing touches, to hold on to the one who held it. He had never imagined such a thing before…never…

"_Kyouka Suigetsu, I cannot."_

"_What? Byakuya, I said that you can…"_

"_I know. But I cannot abandon this child. My heart won't let me."_

"_You must let go."_

"_I am sorry."_

"_Byakuya!"_

He tried to tune out the zanpakutou's repeated calls, Senbonzakura's voice joining in, and Nel's pleading. He anchored himself to the small bit of life left inside his embattled body and let his mind drift. It grew quiet again and he breathed an inward sigh of relief. He was so weary, so exhausted from the weight of the responsibility placed on him, the warring emotions he felt as he took actions that made him feel like the horrid traitor everyone now believed him to be. He was weary of giving himself to the man who had sworn to kill the ironically already dead king, of fighting the dangerous feelings of closeness to the rogue shinigami, and the overwhelming heat that destroyed his ability to resist the man.

The only solace he had had to this point was the gentle feel of that tiny new life growing inside him. While true that it was a child made from the joining of Aizen's body with his, the child was special, holding the power to defend the three worlds, whether by being born as Aizen's heir or rising up from the bitter ashes of Byakuya's own death at the hands of the hougyoku-controlled monster Aizen had become. The child was a source of hope that all he had done was not in vain, that it had a chance of succeeding. And even knowing they could make another was little comfort. There were no guarantees. And if he lost the child and Aizen found the location of the Valley of Whispers, and left him before they conceived another heir, he would have no protection when the hougyoku-controlled Aizen came after him. Yes, Aizen still thought that the way into the spirit dimension lay with Byakuya. He had no idea that the key to entering had been placed around his neck by the noble's own hands. Insane as it had seemed, it was better to place it with the one of them who could not die. And when the time came to cross over, the medallion would be in a safe place, waiting to be used.

He let his mind relax, feeling a gentle white fog wrapping around him. It lulled his mind into complacency and offered a haven from the heaviness of coherent thought. Somewhere in the fog was a warm, affectionate force. He remembered feeling touches of it now and then, but it was such a new and rare feeling…and he could no longer remember where it had come from. He had found it rising up from an unexpected place, someplace he would never have expected it to exist. There was a name attached to it, but he couldn't call it to mind. Yet when the voice that always came with that feeling rose up in his mind, his illusions were shattered and realization struck him forcefully.

"_Byakuya, I understand why you are not letting go, but I won't allow you to do this. I am taking this decision from your hands. Hate me for it if you wish, but understand that this is what I feel I have to do. Resist if your heart tells you to, but we both know I am stronger. And when you bound yourself to me, you gave me the right and the responsibility to care for you, even when it is against your own will. I know you don't want to hear the words, so I won't burden you with them, but if being pulled away from your own self-destruction is heartbreaking to you, let the emotion those words carry bring you back out of the darkness. And if all you do is use the rest of your days to curse me repeatedly for saving you, then it is still worth it_."

"_Sousuke, don't do this_."

There was a long moment of hesitation.

"_I have to_."

Byakuya felt as though someone had wrapped their body around his from behind, as though strong fingers had laced themselves into his. Mind and body were shocked with a sudden, rending sensation. He fought the hold of that other, his mind screaming as the sweet, warm feel of his child's reiatsu left him. He had no reiatsu of his own left to fight with, but instead used his very life force to tear at the one who held him back from death. Shock flooded him again as he suddenly reconnected with his physical body. He heard quick, soft voices and felt a touch that sent his mind spinning away again. Seething anger rose up from inside him and he forced the words out through clenched teeth.

"I will…n-never…forgive you for this."

He barely heard his soul bonded's soft reply.

"Very well. Hate me then. I am used to it. And besides, hatred is a safer thing than love…Byakuya."


	9. With Eyes Wide Open

**Chapter 9: With Eyes Wide Open**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Each blinding inhale feels as though it is filled with shards of ice. I do not feel the warmth of the sun, nor do I perceive its brightness. The world has gone dark and cold around me, and the only guide I have, is the soft whisper of your breath that leads me on.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Nel, why hasn't he regained consciousness?" asked Aizen, taking the noble's pale hand and gently kissing his fingertips, "You counteracted the poison. Shouldn't he have come to by now?"

"Aizen-sama must understand," Nel explained, blinking tears from her eyes, "Byakuya-san was poisoned with something the bad shinigami taichou made himself. Even though Nel can stop it from killing Byakuya-san, there are problems he could have."

"Because we don't have the perfect counteragent," Aizen finished, sighing resignedly, "Your power is more general and so some of the effects may not be counteracted."

"Or they may just take longer to heal," Nel suggested, "Nel will do her best to help Byakuya-san."

"Thank you, Nel. Now, if there is no more you can do for the time being, I would like to take Byakuya to a more comfortable room. The infirmary is too bright and drafty. I'm sure he'll rest more comfortably in a real bed."

"There is one last thing Aizen-sama must do," said Nel.

Aizen frowned.

"What?"

"Byakuya-san's body is not able to absorb and use reiatsu right now."

"What?" Aizen said, his eyes widening, "He can't…"

"It seems that the poison affected all of Byakuya-san's major organs and also his spirit centers. Nel's power stopped the poison from destroying them, but some damage was done anyway. Byakuya-san's spirit centers were corrupted by the poison and must heal. But to allow them to heal, a seal must be placed on his powers or otherwise the spirit centers will keep trying to pull in reiatsu. His spirit centers sense that the power just leaks away and try to attract more. They work too hard and they could shut down. Byakuya-san is too powerful a shinigami for Nel to seal his powers away. That is why Aizen-sama must place the seal."

"I see."

Nel searched the cabinets and returned carrying a red collar. Her eyes sad, she handed the device to Aizen.

"Aizen-sama must make sure Byakuya-san does not think himself a prisoner. Byakuya-san might not understand why his powers are sealed away," Nel said softly.

"I will make sure he understands."

He took the collar and set it in place around the noble's slender, white throat, then touched the activation plate. Closing his eyes for a moment, he set the seal at its maximum strength. He nodded briefly in Nel's direction, then lifted Byakuya and carried him out of the infirmary.

"_You are certainly going to a great deal of trouble for nothing," _the hougyoku's voice whispered in his mind, _"Your shinigami mate is pathetically weak now. I don't expect you would just put him out of our misery, but perhaps you could simply leave him here with those Arrancar, and as soon as you find the location of the Valley of Whispers and the way to unlock the seal on my powers, we can be off. We can collect the divine blade and go to kill the king._

"_Aren't you forgetting that we need Byakuya to enter the spirit dimension?"_

"_So we'll return for the shinigami after we break the seal and have the divine blade in our possession. Now, put your ailing lover to bed and let us begin the search."_

"_Byakuya cannot be left alone."_

"_Then let the others care for him. You know that Byakuya would want you to continue the search anyway. He will understand when he wakes, that you had to continue to look for answers to move your quest forward."_

"_I will stay with him until I feel comfortable leaving him in other hands. He is, after all, our key into the spirit dimension."_

_Hmmm…there are other, less tedious ways of getting in, I think. But as you will. Just remember, when the seal is released, you will still have to prove you have what it takes to be my master. You fell short last time. You should endeavor to do better on this attempt."_

"_Kurosaki Ichigo will not be an issue now. Also, I won't allow Urahara to use the means he did before to trap me. I assure you, much has changed in our favor."_

"_We shall see…"_

Aizen pushed open the door to his private quarters and looked inside. He smiled, noting that the protective shielding he had left on it had not been shattered, and his room, unlike the others, had not been plundered in the wake of his downfall. As he passed through the shielding, he altered it to allow Byakuya and Nel to pass through unimpeded. He knew better than to allow Grimmjow access to Byakuya. There were too many disruptive things the bitter Espada was likely to attempt. He was harmless enough and useful enough to Aizen to keep protected within the fortress, but certainly not trustworthy enough to include in his lover's care.

He set the unconscious noble down on the bed and went to the closet. Returning with a deep red silk yukata, he undressed Byakuya and dressed him in the yukata, then placed him more comfortably in the bed and slid in next to him. He ignored the low hiss of the hougyoku's voice in the back of his mind as he wrapped his body around the noble's and closed his eyes.

He knew well that with the exception of the Kuchiki family archive, this was the only place he could safely relax enough to sleep. All other places held dangers. So, needing to rest before continuing his search for answers, he curled around his soul-bonded, lacing his fingers into the delicate, seemingly lifeless ones of the noble.

He tried to drift off with Byakuya comfortably resting in his arms, but with the cessation of the struggle to save his soul-bonded, he felt a constriction in his chest and an anxiousness about him that refused to leave him. He wasn't one to linger about his concerns or emotions, but for some reason, his mind kept returning to his decision to leave Byakuya in the Seireitei and to travel to Hueco Mundo without him.

While it was true that he had heard the voice of the hougyoku and it had pressured him with arguments about why it was best to make the trip on his own, the decision had, in the end, been his. First, of course, was the often reiterated point that the hougyoku seemed to favor. Aizen was incapable of dying, but Byakuya was vulnerable to death. It would have been safer for him to remain in the Seireitei, concealed within the Kuchiki family archive until such time as Aizen returned with Tenrai Tezawari to take the noble to the dimension wall. And on the surface, the argument might seem to make sense. But it depended, of course on the noble allowing himself to be left behind, and willingly staying within the safety of the archive, which Byakuya had clearly proven, he was not of a mind to do.

The second reason was the growing tension between the hougyoku and the noble. Byakuya never came out and openly made himself a threat to the spirit of the hougyoku. How could he be a threat? No one knew a way to destroy it. But Byakuya had a hidden agenda, one that included a blade that could possibly kill even the hougyoku-protected Aizen. He questioned the story he had been told about Kuchiki Hajime and the demon-god Diablo. He sensed he hadn't been told everything. It was possible…no, probable, that Byakuya was setting him up for something. The noble _knew_ Aizen planned to betray him, and to enter the spirit realm with him. And maybe, he thought, it was part of Byakuya's hidden plan for him to do so.

The final reason was something he wasn't as sure about. It was something he felt inside when he was with the noble. Being soul bonded to Byakuya had given him a solid connection with another sentient soul. He had the hougyoku, of course, but that spirit was not so alive and real as Byakuya. It plotted and planned and made things happen, but it was not real in the sense that the noble was. He connected with Byakuya in ways he couldn't with the hougyoku…and the hougyoku was understandably concerned that Aizen would allow himself to be distracted.

He was certainly distracted now.

He imagined Byakuya returning to the archive for him, anxious to get them both out of the Seireitei before the illusion-Byakuya was discovered. His deception, his leaving without the noble, had caused Byakuya to have an understandable emotional reaction. He wasn't sure whether it had been the hougyoku's suggestion, or if he had really been so shortsighted as to think that, given his betrayal, the noble would simply have remained within the archive. But in retrospect, he wondered at himself for his thinking. Of course, given his mission, whatever it was, and Byakuya's devotion to the king, he would have felt compelled to run after Aizen, emotional reactions notwithstanding.

But he had to consider the emotional things too. Because Byakuya was a creature of deep, concealed emotion. He lied easily to protect himself, but even so, Aizen had felt warmth growing in their connection, even as the hougyoku did its best to drive a wedge in between them.

But unlike before, Aizen didn't trust the hougyoku's vision. Before, he had given the hougyoku his desires and it had helped him to achieve most of them. But now, the voice of the hougyoku was more of an irritant, something that warned him constantly that his bond with Byakuya was a danger.

But he didn't see Byakuya as a danger to him. If anything, the noble was a threat to the hougyoku…not because of any power he wielded over it, but because of the effect he was having on the wishes and desires of the man it had fused itself with. Yes, intentionally or not, Byakuya was driving a wedge between them, and that was why the hougyoku wanted him gone.

That made him ask himself a difficult question. Had the hougyoku used its influence over him to nudge him into leaving Byakuya, and if so, had it done so knowing that the noble would follow, and could very well die, trying to catch up with him? Certainly, the hougyoku couldn't use its internal powers, but it could certainly have used its powers of persuasion. Yes, even sealed away, it was a wickedly dangerous item. Byakuya's current state was enough to prove that.

Aizen sighed and closed his eyes, breathing in the light, sweet sakura scent of his lover and running his fingers through the noble's silken hair. His mind replayed how it felt to bury himself in that lovely body, but even more important, it reminded him of how wonderful it felt to see Byakuya's heart rebelling against him, pushing him farther and farther, until his body betrayed those hidden inner desires, the wants and needs that Byakuya would never speak aloud, but that he longed for inside. That was why, even when Byakuya claimed to despise him, he saw beneath it. He saw the conflicted heart that longed to be swept away, to be indulged, to know passionate love as he never had before. His lips spoke the words he had been taught to say, and he tried always to move in the expected patterns, but Aizen could see that when he took Byakuya suddenly, when he surprised the noble with the force of his affections, everything Byakuya had been taught fell away…and he became the truly enchanting lover who Aizen adored.

The hougyoku sensed that adoration and was threatened by it. And it was possible that this was why it had worked so hard to convince him to leave Byakuya. He had thought at the time that it was his own decision, but now, he wasn't so certain.

So when the hougyoku's voice rose up again to nudge him into going to continue the search in the library, he ignored it and continued to hold his lover close to him. But as he did, he felt the hougyoku's burning anger building and knew that eventually, something had to give. Still, even if he was going to be forced to give Byakuya up at some point, either to abandonment or death, they had this moment…this time of deep connection. And he knew better than to think that such a thing would happen ever again.

Because love was extremely dangerous. Yet even in the face of that danger, he felt that his bond with the complex noble was more than worth it. Which was why he had to make sure the noble got well again…and that somehow he would not follow through on what he had said.

_I will…n-never…forgive you for this._

"Byakuya," he whispered, "Aishiteru yo. I know you didn't want me to say it, but I choose to now. I am sorry I left you. I should have known you wouldn't simply stay behind. I should have trusted your vision. I know that now. Rest, watashi no koi. I will watch over you. And I swear that I will do a better job of that than I did before. If I had listened to you and we had come to Hueco Mundo together, I could have protected you and our baby. We wouldn't have lost our child…and I would not be standing on the cusp of losing you. Come back to me, Byakuya. I don't care if you hate me for what I did. Just don't leave. I hate being…"

He stopped himself as it struck him that, even having the hougyoku fused to him had not ended his solitude.

Byakuya, on the other hand, had.

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow reached out with his senses and located Aizen's reiatsu in his quarters. Satisfied that the former leader of the hollows was occupied for the time being, he walked out of the area of the infirmary and made his way to the library.

"So you seek the Valley of Whispers, ne?" he said softly.

For the next several hours, he moved methodically through the shelves then, locating every reference to the valley that he could find…the map, the related myths, and several related works of art. He started out the door of the library, carrying all he had found, but paused as one of the pictures fell to the floor. He picked it up and examined it for a moment.

"The King's Sacrifice," he read, "Only a life taken righteously or one given freely can open the Altar of Passage."

He studied the picture carefully, noting the resemblance of the pictured shinigami on the altar to the one accompanying Aizen. The man's face was oddly peaceful, considering the blade that was buried in his heart. Light rose from his torso and it looked as though something was forming above his dying body. Whatever it was, the shinigami's eyes were fastened on it and he was smiling, even as he died.

"Kami…" the Espada whispered, "Could that be it? That crazy shinigami wants Aizen to take him into the spirit dimension and kill him? What the fuck? Why would…?"

He stared harder at the light rising out of the dying noble's body in the picture.

"Crazy," he muttered, "Fucking _loco_!"

Shaking his head in frustration, he held the gathered books, papers and pictures to his chest and flash stepped away. He made his way to the room that had been his before and hid everything carefully. He was sure there were still some things in the library that Aizen would find useful, but before he could figure out where the valley was, Grimmjow and the crazy shinigami would be gone.

"Whatever you're up to, I will stop you," he hissed softly, "You fucked us all over in the Winter War, but you are not getting away with it this time. I'll make sure of that."

But he couldn't make his move until Aizen left the shinigami somewhere where Grimmjow could reach him. And, the Espada reasoned, the shinigami had to be awake for that to happen. He decided to use what time he had now for rest.

Because once he took the shinigami, he wouldn't be able to stop running. Aizen would follow him to the ends of the earth, so he intended to stay a step ahead.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen woke from an uneasy sleep in the early morning. Anxious and restless, he studied the still-unconscious noble and determined he was still unresponsive. As he crawled out of the bed and kissed Byakuya's warm lips, a light knock sounded on the door.

"Who is it?" he asked quietly.

"It is Nel," said the toddler Arrancar's voice outside the door, "Nel brought tea for Aizen-sama and Byakuya-san."

Aizen opened the door and let the girl in.

"Byakuya is still unconscious," he told her, "Do you think you can wake him?"

"Nel will try," the girl told him, "but Byakuya-san is in a restorative state. It is better for him to stay that way for now. He will wake when he is healed enough."

"Ah, very well," said Aizen, taking his tea and sipping at it, more to pass the time than for refreshment.

Nel hopped up on the bed next to Byakuya and leaned over him, studying him carefully for several minutes as Aizen watched.

"Byakuya-san is better," she said, nodding, "I think he will wake up soon."

"That is good," Aizen said, "Then, I will wait."

Nel sighed.

"Byakuya-san may sleep all day. Nel doesn't know for sure."

"Hmmm…" said the rogue shinigami, "He does still seem to need rest. Nel, I want you to stay with him. Do not leave his side and send one of your fraccion when he wakes. I will be in the library."

"Okay, Aizen-sama, Nel will watch Byakuya-san. Nel won't let Byakuya-san out of her sight!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya encountered the heavy sensation of returning to his physical body after floating free of it for some time. Having begun to regain consciousness, he felt, too, the return of physical pain. He ached horribly inside from the poison's attack on his major organs, and he felt weakness all over his body, as though a weight had been set upon him. His abdomen hurt inside, and along with that came another aching sensation, this one located in his heart.

Their baby was gone.

He knew it should hurt even more, but a numbness, an emptiness had opened up inside him, and it caused a feeling of separation between himself and both the physical and emotional pain he was experiencing. He knew, however, that eventually, the numbness, the shock of what had happened would wear off. It would leave him and the full strength of that loss would strike him. But there was nothing he could do about that, so he forced his anxiety down and tried to open his eyes.

He was sure he had opened them, but the room remained completely dark. He sat up, and immediately felt small hands attempting to push him back down.

"Sousuke?" he called, confusion sweeping over him.

"It is Nel," a girl's voice said, "Lie down. Byakuya-san still needs to rest."

He recognized the girl's voice now. She had been the one who healed him, but…

"Sousuke!" he called again, peering into the blackness, "Where is he? Did he…leave?"

He rolled to his feet, ignoring Nel's protests as he felt his way to the end of the bed, then tried to reach out with his senses to find the wall with his reiatsu. He caught his breath in shock as his powers failed and he felt the touch of the band around his neck.

"What is this? Is this why I have no power? Is this why I can't see?"

"Byakuya-san, wait!" Nel cried as the noble stood at the end of the bed, his hands extended, "I think the poison is affecting your vision. Be careful!"

Byakuya's fingertips found a wall, and he followed it to the door as Nel tugged on his yukata, sobbing for him to get back into bed. Her fraccion joined them outside the door, and the three continued to plead with the noble to return to the safety of the bedroom, but Byakuya sensed that someone else was further down the hallway and pulled free of the others, moving unsteadily forward.

"What the hell?" said a gruff, unfamiliar voice, and Byakuya felt hands take hold of him.

"Who are you?" he asked, tearing free and backing away, "L-let go of me!"

"Wait! Stop, don't!" the other voice said, "You're going to…"

Byakuya stepped back and felt the ground disappear beneath his feet. A sound of surprise and fear broke from his stunned form as cries erupted around him and he started to fall.


	10. Inside Your Eyes

**Chapter 10: Inside Your Eyes**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**You stand motionless now, glowing with moonlight you cannot see and afraid to take a step for fear of falling. How easily you trust me, even as I take your hand and lead you astray.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya felt the ground disappear beneath his feet and tried to use reiatsu to manage his fall. But the collar at his throat, he remembered belatedly, prevented him from catching himself as gravity wickedly took over. He braced himself for the assault of sudden pain, but was taken by surprise again as a flash step sounded and a pair of strong, muscular arms captured him mid-fall. Whoever held him, flash stepped to the bottom of the stairs and held him steady as he recovered himself.

"You okay?" a gruff voice asked.

He blinked, but still saw nothing before his eyes but darkness.

"Wh-who are you?" he asked shakenly, "Are you…an Arrancar?"

The other took his hand and brought it up to touch the mask that covered part of his face. Byakuya stood quietly, calm returning as he explored his rescuer's mask with curious, searching fingertips.

"I am an Espada," the hollow told him, "I am _Sexta_ Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. And don't worry, shinigami, if I had any intention of killing you, you wouldn't have lived long enough to fall down those stairs. Now, answer my question. Are you hurt?"

"You mean, besides being without my shinigami powers and unable to see?" Byakuya said, his smooth sarcasm returning as he regained his composure, "I am not injured."

"Grimmjow?" said Aizen's voice from the top of the stairs, "Would you be so kind as to release my soul-bonded? And explain what you are doing here with him."

"What I was doing?" Grimmjow repeated, shaking his head, "I was keeping him from being killed falling down the stairs. That's what I was _doing_. Then, he asked who I was and I told him."

"Very well," the rogue shinigami said, flash stepping past Nel and her nervously babbling fraccion, "I should have known better than to leave you for a moment, Byakuya. You do seem to go out of your way to find trouble."

"Trouble seems to be a constant when I am near you, Sousuke," Byakuya said in a low, confrontational tone, "What's wrong? You wanted to make sure the next time you left me, I wouldn't follow? So you blinded me and made sure I was left completely powerless?"

"You misunderstand, Byakuya," Aizen said, slipping an arm around the noble as Grimmjow stepped back and released him.

Byakuya pulled away, frowning.

"Oh?" he said softly, "And did I _misunderstand_ you when you abandoned me to be pursued by the Gotei 13? To be attacked and injured by my own colleagues? Did I _misunderstand _you when you forced me to let our child _die_? Explain to me, where has logic failed me?"

"Come," Aizen said calmly, "We will speak privately about this."

"I don't want to speak to you at all," Byakuya said quietly, "However, I haven't the option of returning home at this point, so it seems I have no choice but to endure whatever you have to say. Just do not expect me to be misled by you. I trusted you once, and it appears to have been a grave mistake to do so."

"And that is supposed to come as a surprise, Byakuya?" Aizen asked quietly, "I told you from the beginning that trust breeds dependence and weakness. You are living proof of that. Had you not trusted me to wait for you…had you actually kept me prisoner within the archive as you probably should have, then I would not have left without you, and you would not have been attacked."

Byakuya caught his breath sharply, anger and resentment flooding his face.

"So…because I felt enough for you to let down my guard with you…because I began to open my heart to you, this is my fault? Is that what you're telling me?"

"Not at all," the rogue shinigami said calmly, "I am merely pointing out how dangerous it is to rely on others. You relied on me and I disappointed you. It was bound to happen. It shouldn't surprise you. I told you not to trust me."

"Yeah," said Grimmjow bitterly, "If you think he screwed you over, just remember what he did to the Espada. Oh wait…most of them are dead. And don't tell me, it was somehow our fault, ne? We asked for that fate? Byakuya, I may not give a fuck about you or much anyone else, but take my advice. Get away from him while you can…before you end up dead…or worse, in love with him."

"Hmmm…" Byakuya said solemnly, "I imagine that we only need ask Hinamori about something like that."

He turned in Aizen's direction.

"And I have to wonder. Is it really you who is so hateful, or has it been the corruption of that damned thing in your chest all along?"

"I didn't fuse with the hougyoku until…"

"I am aware of that," said Byakuya, "I was implying that it did not wait for you to merge with it before it started impairing your judgment."

"The hougyoku has a will of its own, but I was strong enough to master it, or it would not have merged with me."

"And yet, when Kurosaki Ichigo pushed you to your limits, in the end, the hougyoku abandoned you. It allowed the seal to activate, locking both of you away. And yet, after that…after being freed, the first thing you wish to do is to unseal the hougyoku and start that madness again. Sousuke, wake up! The hougyoku deserted you, just as surely as you deserted me. You say I am a fool for trusting you. So what kind of fool and hypocrite are you for placing your faith in that rock? It is just as likely that it wants to be unsealed so that it can abandon you and possess someone else."

"And who would it possess, Byakuya? Who else would measure up? I may have fallen short, but if I have, there are none who would excel beyond that. The hougyoku will remain with me because it recognizes that."

Byakuya stiffened as Aizen's arm wrapped around him again.

"Come now. You are still recovering from your ordeal and you require more rest and healing."

The noble held his ground for a moment, then sighed in resignation and allowed himself to be guided up the stairs. Grimmjow stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching the two carefully.

"Nel," said Aizen, "I will call for you when I need you again. You and your fraccion should maintain a guard, in case there should be any security breaches."

"Hai, Aizen-sama," the girl said, watching as he led Byakuya back to his room.

He opened the door for the noble and led him inside, then closed it behind them. Byakuya stood by the door, his sightless eyes downcast and his emotions, once again, submerged.

"Would you like a hot shower?" Aizen asked, "Or would you prefer to rest or eat first?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter."

Aizen sighed.

"Very well. Let's just get you back in bed. You weren't healed that long ago. You shouldn't have gotten up."

Byakuya climbed onto the bed and rested his back against the pillows. Aizen left briefly and returned with two cups of hot tea. He set one carefully in the noble's hands and sipped at his as he sat down beside Byakuya on the bed. The noble sipped disinterestedly at the tea, then reached out with his free hand to search for a nightstand.

"A little more to your left and back a bit," Aizen said quietly, watching as Byakuya's fingertips found the nightstand and he placed the tea there, "Are you sure you aren't hungry?"

"What kind of question is that?" Byakuya asked in a low voice, "With my powers sealed away, I haven't the need for food. You know that."

"I thought it might calm you to partake of some normal things."

"I don't need you to calm me," Byakuya said shortly, "I am fine."

"I see that."

He watched as the noble sat, still and frowning, looking as though he had a great deal on his mind, but holding it in forcibly. He was nearly ready to push the buttons necessary to set of his soul-bonded's temper, but found it unnecessary as Byakuya took a shuddering breath and began to speak.

"Just tell me one thing. Explain to me why you saved me and not our child. I was more than willing to die to protect our baby. You knew that. You knew how I wanted things and still, you forced me to let go."

Aizen considered the question. Byakuya took another shaky breath and continued.

"Because, you see, I fail to understand why you who just abandoned me in one moment would turn around and treat my life as a thing more valued than his own flesh and blood in the next. Sousuke, your actions make no sense to me."

"Byakuya," Aizen said, noting the tension in the noble's body as he put his arms around Byakuya and pulled him close, "I told you, though you were unconscious at the time, it was a mistake for me to leave you the way I did. I had hoped you would not venture outside of the archive, but would take refuge there until after the uproar settled. I know now it was short-sighted to have believed such a thing."

"Had I not left when I did," Byakuya objected, "then the garganta would have been guarded carefully and I could not have gotten into Hueco Mundo."

"But I swear, I planned to return for you once I secured the blade from the Valley of Whispers."

"Sousuke, you will not be able to secure the blade on your own. I tried to explain this before, but maybe I wasn't clear. We must recover the blade together."

"And how are you so sure of this? How is it even possible for you to do this in the state you are in now?"

He hadn't meant for the words to sound so harsh.

"Your body is not able to channel and use reiatsu right now. Although Nel's power was able to stop the poison from killing you, this is a side effect. That is why I placed the collar on you and sealed away your powers. Had I left you as you were, your spirit centers would have overtaxed themselves, pulling in reiatsu that your body could not absorb and use. You have no powers right now, Byakuya. It will take time for you to recover them. And as to your loss of vision, you should be able to learn to work around it if it does not heal, but even though you do, it will take time to adjust to that. I think that, assuming we discover the location of the Valley of Whispers soon, I will need to attempt recovery of Tenrai Tezawari on my own."

"And I will warn you again that you will need me to be with you when you attempt it. While I do not know the details of why, the instructions that came to me via the Royal Messenger were very clear."

"But judging by the urgency you have shown as we have progressed in this mission you were given, I would say that there is a limited amount of time in which to find the blade and return with it to the spirit dimension, ne?"

Byakuya sighed.

"It is true that time is somewhat of a factor here. The longer the king is in his current situation, the more danger there is that the beast will penetrate the palace defenses somehow. We must secure Tenrai Tezawari and return quickly."

Aizen nodded.

"And we will," he assured the noble, "Now, let us leave this and let me address your other question. You asked me why I chose to protect your life and made you let go of our child. You said that my actions made no sense to you. And in all honesty, Byakuya, I do not know why I chose that path. I only know that when faced with the prospect of losing you, my heart was in turmoil. Our child was a beautiful promise…an element of one possible future, but it hadn't yet been realized. Still, as long as I protect you, there is still the possibility of that future. Had I lost you, I would have had our child, and that would have been a comfort. But I could not cope with the idea of losing you. Like it or not, but when we became soul bonded, our hearts were given to each other. And though you have denied it time and again with your words, Byakuya, your body betrays your heart every time we are together. If you need a reminder of this, then I will give you one."

"No, Sousuke."

"Shh," the rogue shinigami whispered, kissing the noble into silence, "I will not make love with you while you are in such a state. I only mean to end the lies and warfare between us. You waste tremendous amounts of time and energy denying what you feel. It is time for you to end the lies, Byakuya."

"If you are thinking that I will say that I love you, then," Byakuya began.

"You won't say those words to me right now. I know. And you don't want to hear them either. But although you intend to continue to resist, I choose to embrace what I feel for you. I love you, Byakuya."

"No, you…"

"I love you," Aizen repeated, kissing away the noble's objections, "and I will love you whether I say the words or not."

"You cannot…"

Aizen's fingers laced into his.

"Your spirit, your passionate nature has conquered my will to resist you, Byakuya. And being soul bound to you makes me hunger for you. You cannot with any ounce of honesty tell me that you do not return those feelings. Even as you try now to resist, I feel it when I kiss you. You are fighting against it. Let go of your resistance and allow yourself to enjoy it, Byakuya. You will not be sorry."

Byakuya shook his head and pulled away as the rogue shinigami began kissing him again. He turned his head away as Aizen's mouth descended on his throat, placing hungry kisses along its length.

"Sousuke," he whispered breathlessly, "You have said that I should not trust you…that trust, reliance bred weakness. How then, can we ever truly love each other? Because love too, is a form of reliance. Love requires faith…trust…"

"And?"

"Don't you understand, Sousuke? If you fall in love with me, then by your own admission, that love will weaken you. The hougyoku that you fused yourself with will not accept this. Anything that weakens you will be abandoned, or if not abandoned, then destroyed."

"I will not hurt you, Byakuya," the rogue shinigami said, taking the noble's face in his hands, "And I will not allow the hougyoku to maneuver me into hurting you again."

A look of resignation passed over the noble's expression and he let out his breath in a long sigh.

"So…you finally admit it," he said softly, "You left me behind, because the hougyoku, despite having its power sealed away, is having an influence on your mind. It is fused with you. How could it not? And what that means is that, for the rest of the time we are committed to this mission, you will have to fight its influence over you. It wants you to break the seal, to free it. But when you do, you know it will overpower you. You like to call yourself the hougyoku's master, but Sousuke, I think you know now that it has no master. The hougyoku uses anyone who attempts to harness its power, even one so powerful as you."

He paused, reaching up to let his fingers seek the hougyoku where it rested in his soul-bonded's chest. Aizen captured his hand, stopping him just short of touching it.

"You know that it sees me as a threat and you are fighting its influence," Byakuya said, freeing his hand and tracing the lines of Aizen's face, "You must continue to do that. But be aware. It lies to you about why it despises me. It claims to see me as a force that weakens your resolve…but…what the hougyoku actually resists is my power to alter your desires. Sousuke, when I was pregnant with our child and you were falling in love with me, it changed the path of your desires. That change altered the hougyoku's association with you. Deny it if you wish, but it will not change the facts. The hougyoku wishes me dead or gone, and even now while it has no power to act on its wishes, it tries to place itself between us."

Aizen shook his head gently and brought Byakuya's fingertips to his lips.

"I will not allow anything to take you away from me, Byakuya. I promise you that."

Byakuya's lips curved upward ever so slightly.

"Sousuke, I do hope you are not going to ask me to trust you on that," he said softly.

"Of course not," said the rogue shinigami, pulling him closer, "but you will choose to trust it anyway, ne?"

"I see we have come to understand each other," Byakuya whispered as Aizen's lips found his again.

"Byakuya," Aizen breathed warmly against the noble's flesh, "I was not of a mind to make love with you while you were still recovering, but if we do not stop, I think I will not be able to resist."

"Then by all means, end your resistance," the noble said calmly, "Because even in this reduced state, I am far from fragile. And even as we mourn what has been lost…that we are still together is a promise that we can know that kind of happiness again."

Aizen couldn't stop the smile that found its way onto his face at Byakuya's words.

"So you have forgiven me, then for saving you, ne?" he asked softly.

"No," replied the noble, "but I have decided to respect your decision, and not to hate you for it."

Aizen's smile widened.

"And for that, I am deeply grateful," he whispered.

He opened the noble's yukata and let his hands explore the soft, pale flesh beneath it. But even as they gave in to their desires and their bodies joined, the rogue shinigami was careful not to allow the hougyoku to touch his lover. He felt the burning throb of its rising anger and knew better than to allow himself to fall asleep in Byakuya's arms. Instead, once their hunger for each other was sated, he deepened the noble's sleep and left the room. He walked slowly back to the library, ignoring the hougyoku's discontented rumblings.

_He is becoming too much of a distraction. You must turn away from him before it is too late._

_Once you are king, you can have a hundred lovers every bit as desirable as he is. But you must become king first. Byakuya is an obstacle to our rise to supremacy. Use him as you must, but then kill him quickly. If you do not, then he will kill us in the end._

_Use him and kill him._

_It is the only path to being king._


	11. Stolen Blossom

**Chapter 12: Stolen Blossom**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Do not listen to the lies that flow from my lips. Hear only my heart as it reaches for yours. I do not fear the danger that approaches, but only hold on to you more tightly as it seeks to tear me away. It does not matter if I am lost. We are bound at the soul. We no longer inhabit only one body…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"_Byakuya."_

The noble stirred softly at the sound of Kyoka Suigetsu's voice in his mind. He sat up and leaned back against the pillows, using what senses were left to him to feel the dimensions of the room and to sense the nearby presences of Senbonzakura, Kyoka Suigetsu, and outside his door, Nel and her two fraccion.

"_Kyouka Suigetsu?"_

"_I had to wait until he left to speak with you. The hougyoku grows stronger, and is slowly gaining a foothold on his mind. It cannot complete its conquest while the seal is in place, but it can continue to affect his thinking."_

"_What are we to do? You know that, sooner or later, he will find a way to break the seal. I am certain that the information that will enable him to do that is here. And once he does, the hougyoku will begin altering him to the point where he will be a grave danger to me."_

"_We may be able to delay his finding that knowledge."_

"_How? I cannot see. I cannot search the library."_

"_Yes, you can. I can help you."_

"_Again, how?"_

"_I am able to control your senses…all of them. And my ability to control them is not affected by injury they suffer. So although your eyes are unable to see on their own, while you possess me, I can force your eyes to see. Come. Find me."_

Byakuya slipped his legs over the edge of the bed and climbed to his feet. He remembered the location of the nightstand and touched it lightly, then found the wall and proceeded slowly around the room, following the wall and testing the area in front of him with a searching hand. Finally, his fingers found a wooden sword stand. He touched Senbonzakura in greeting, then lifted his hand and brushed it against Aizen's zanpakutou.

"_Wait. He is coming_."

Byakuya retraced his steps to the bed and sat on the edge, just as the door opened.

"Ah, you are up and about," Aizen said, moving towards him, "I was thinking that it would be good for you to stretch your legs and to gain some familiarity with the fortress. Come."

The rogue shinigami slipped an arm around him, bringing him to his feet and leading him out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

"Were you able to find any information about the Valley of Whispers?" Byakuya asked.

"I found a few references. Nothing that would pinpoint it, but there are still quite a lot of places to look. I will return there in a while, but I thought you might benefit from a bit of fresh air and some company. There is one place here in the fortress where I was actually able to get plants to grow. I turned the room into an atrium, then added a bathing pool and waterfall. It is really quite a soothing place."

They turned a corner and Aizen turned him into what he sensed was a huge open room enclosed with kido.

"This is the training room we will use once you have recovered your vision. It is also a good destination for you while you are growing accustomed to traversing the fortress. Are you aware of the approximate distance we have gone?"

"Hai," Byakuya said, nodding, "I have been counting the number of steps and the turns."

"Good. Nel can assist you when you want to move about."

"What of Grimmjow?"

Aizen was quiet for a moment.

"You would do well to avoid him unless you are with Nel or me. He is relatively benign, but he is rather bitter. He knows he doesn't want to be out with the other hollows, though. They look down on him for losing his battle with Kurosaki Ichigo. Not that any of them could have defeated him, but after my defeat, they were looking for someone to blame for the chaotic state of things. And rather than use the last of the Espada to help put things back in order, the Arrancars instead shunned them for having been my devotees. This world has been in chaos ever since, because no one strong enough has stepped forward to lead, and if one did, he would have a hard time gaining the others' trust. When we leave the safety of this fortress, the hollows we meet along our way will be restive and will likely attack without hesitation. Hopefully, by then, you will be fully healed and your vision restored."

He broke off, making a soft sound of surprise.

"A hell butterfly?" he queried softly, "Byakuya, will you excuse me for a moment? It seems that the spy network I used is still active. I need to look into it. If you go back out the doors we came in through, cross the hallway and turn left, the atrium is on the left, three rooms down. I will meet you there when I am finished."

Byakuya listened as the rogue shinigami flash stepped away, then stood. He turned in what he remembered was the direction of the door and walked slowly back until he sensed the wall in front of him. He reached out and touched it with one hand, and followed it to the door and passed through it. Following Aizen's instructions, he turned and moved down three doorways, then opened the door he found.

He could sense immediately the large size of the room and scented flowers and water. He stepped forward into the room and paused, sensing also that he was not alone. There was a moment of hesitation, then the gruff voice he remembered from before, rose up in front of him.

"So, we meet again, shinigami," he said, his voice a soft growl above the sound of rushing water, "What are you doing wandering around the fortress alone?"

"It is Byakuya," the noble replied quietly, "and I am not wandering about, but stretching my legs. One cannot remain locked in his room all of the time. Not if he plans to be of any use."

"You aren't really of any use as it is with your power sealed away and not being able to see. But he expects you'll heal, ne?"

"He claims to believe I will, but nothing is guaranteed, of course."

A soft shiver of warning passed through Byakuya as he felt Grimmjow move in closer.

"You _are_ aware you can't trust him, ne?" the Espada asked softly, "You are damned sexy. No wonder you have his attention. But let me tell you a few things about your handsome bedfellow, Byakuya. Aizen Sousuke is a backstabbing, using bastard. I can tell he really enjoys fucking you. Hell, who wouldn't? I'm tempted, myself. But don't let your guard down with him, not for a minute. Even if it was just him you were dealing with, he's dangerous enough, but fused with the hougyoku, he is deadly and unpredictable."

"You seem to think so," commented the noble.

"No," said Grimmjow, brushing several stray hairs away from the noble's face, "I know so. He was bad enough before…cocky, sneaky and violent when he wanted to be. But after he fused with the hougyoku, he was just scary. He became dangerously unpredictable. One second, he'd be talking to a guy and the next, he'd kill him, with so little warning the guy wouldn't know what hit him. On the surface, he was always perfectly calm, but piss him off and you'd be dead before you hit the floor."

"But that was when the hougyoku was fully activated. It is sealed, Grimmjow. And while it does speak to him and try to influence him, he is in control, for the moment."

"Are you sure about that, Byakuya?" the Espada asked in a low growl, "Can't you feel it? Maybe you can't with your powers sealed away, but I can feel the power of the hougyoku beneath the seal. And you know that whatever else he's looking for in that library, he's working day and night to try to find a way to unseal that thing. And when he does, you are a dead man."

"That certain, are you?"

"Of course," Grimmjow said, leaning closer until Byakuya could feel the Espada's lips and hot breath against his earlobe, "It doesn't matter how good you are in bed or what agreements you have. Anyone or anything close to him will be evaporated when that thing regains its power. The hougyoku doesn't like to compete for attention."

He chuckled softly.

"I think you know that, Byakuya. You know it, but you are playing some kind of dangerous game, ne?"

Byakuya flinched and tried to pull away as the Espada's mouth fastened on his. He felt Grimmjow's spiritual pressure rise until it froze him in place. He continued then, thrusting a seething tongue between the noble's lips and tasting him.

"Aizen will eat you alive," he said between sweltering kisses, "but I can help you. I can help you get your vision and your powers back. I can help you find the place you're looking for."

He slid a hand down Byakuya's body, catching the tie at his waist and pulling it free.

"Stop," Byakuya hissed softly, "Sousuke will be back any moment."

He struggled against the reiatsu that held him in place as Grimmjow's hand slipped beneath his yukata and began to explore him.

"Are you afraid?" the Espada asked softly, "Worried he'll kill us both?"

The invasive hand found his length and teased it provocatively. He caught his breath sharply as the hand brushed his sac and hard fingertips pushed beyond, finding his entrance and stimulating it as his other hand curled around Byakuya's head, bringing him in for another hard kiss.

"Let go of me!" Byakuya gasped, "He's coming back!"

Grimmjow's reiatsu rose until Byakuya's body went limp and collapsed against him. He lowered the noble to the grass, then leaned over him.

"You'll see I'm right about him," he said, tying Byakuya's yukata back in place, "And don't worry. I'll be watching. I have my own plans…for him and for you, shinigami."

He glared down at the noble for a moment longer, then stalked away. Byakuya remained on the grass, catching his breath and waiting as the spiritual pressure around him slowly receded. He heard the door to the room open and close and felt Aizen's presence.

"Byakuya, I am sorry to have kept you waiting."

He paused, gazing down at the noble.

"Byakuya, are you all right? You look rather flushed."

"I…do not feel terribly well."

Aizen moved closer, dropping down next to him and placing a hand on his face. Byakuya felt an odd, disturbing shift in the reiatsu around him.

"Grimmjow was with you," the rogue shinigami said in a low, angry tone.

He brought his lips to the noble's, tasting him questioningly, then his reiatsu rose, pressing in around Byakuya and stealing his breath again.

"He touched you…"

"H-he was trying to intimidate me."

"What did he want?"

"I-I'm not sure. He seemed…angry."

Even though he couldn't see, he felt the burning of Aizen's eyes on him.

"You are not telling me everything."

"Sousuke…"

He lost the ability to speak as the rogue shinigami swept him up and flash stepped with brutal speed back to his room. He was thrown down onto the bed on his back, then strong hands captured his wrists and fastened them above his head with kido ropes.

"Have you lost your senses?" Byakuya snapped, "What is _wrong_ with you?"

Kido restraints formed on his ankles, lashing them to the bedposts.

"Sousuke?"

The rogue shinigami's body pressed down against his and the weight of the man's spiritual pressure closed in around him, tightening and leaving him feeling suffocated.

"Did you enjoy it?" Aizen hissed in an odd, distant voice.

_This isn't him. The hougyoku is intensifying his reaction…stoking his ire and trying to tease him into directing it at me._

"Did I _enjoy_ being touched by a hollow?" Byakuya asked angrily, "Are you _mad_? I would never take pleasure in such a thing! Never mind the fact that I am bound to you. I have no affinity for hollows!"

Aizen gave a sarcastic laugh.

"That's right. You can't _see_ Grimmjow…still, it doesn't matter. You weren't injured in any way, so I imagine you weren't attempting to fight him off."

"I couldn't fight him off," Byakuya fired back, "With my powers sealed away, it was easy for him to hold me down with his spiritual pressure. Think! What you are saying makes no sense! It is the hougyoku, trying to make you hurt me. Are you going to let it?"

Aizen shifted and let the hougyoku brush against Byakuya's chest. The noble stifled a gasp of pain as the crystal flared, burning his skin.

"Sousuke…Sousuke, can you hear me?" Byakuya asked urgently.

He felt the calm brown eyes fixing on him.

"Of course I hear you," Aizen said, "But I don't know exactly what to believe. Certainly Grimmjow has no great love for me…but neither do you. Do you think I have forgotten that you haven't told me everything, Byakuya? What other sins of omission are you guilty of, my lover?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about your true mission. You have managed to keep it from me."

"I told you my mission. There is a…"

"…a beast that has cornered the king and the palace is locked down. I know. But there is more, ne? Who is going to wield Tenrai Tezawari? How will you enter the spirit dimension? You see, there _are_ things you haven't told me. But the hougyoku can help me to extract those answers from you. If you will not yield them willingly, then I will allow it to force itself into your mind. Do you want me to do that?"

"No. But Sousuke, I thought that the hougyoku had to be unsealed to affect others."

Aizen's soft laughter sent a shiver down his spine.

"Byakuya…we are soul bonded. That means that because the hougyoku is in my body, it can enter your mind too. Do you want to feel what that's like?" Aizen whispered in his ear.

"No…no, I don't."

But he felt the crystal burn hotter against his chest and heard the first whispers in his mind.

"_Kuchiki Byakuya…Aizen's soul bonded, do you hear me?"_

He didn't dare answer.

"_Byakuya, you think you can resist me? Think again. No one can. And I will tell you why. I know the hearts of men. And no heart is without dreams, longing. I find those dreams, those wants, those needs. I find them and I feed them. That is why men crave me, why they seek me and want to master me. You will desire this too. I only need look into your mind and see what you desire most_."

"Sousuke, stop it!" Byakuya gasped, straining against the bonds, "Sousuke, if you love me as you say you do then you have to stop it! The hougyoku wants to destroy me. You know this!"

He caught his breath sharply as the hougyoku flared again and he felt the press of its power against his mind. He threw everything into resistance, but found it useless as the hougyoku touched his mind searchingly, then slid inside as though he hadn't resisted at all.

"_Give me your desires, Kuchiki Byakuya_."

Intense fear gripped the noble, leaving him breathless.

"_Tell me_…"

He pushed the fear aside and focused on one single thought.

"_You desire_…"

The wicked power wrapped around his heart and began to squeeze.

"_Say it_."

"No…"

"_Say the words. Tell me what you desire most_!"

"No!" Byakuya cried.

"_Then I will tear it from your mind_!"

Byakuya took a sharp, stinging breath and forced his mind to focus on one thought and one thought alone. His body shook from end to end as the power of the hougyoku intensified and then exploded inside him, forcing everything out in a rending scream of pain. He suddenly lost all control of his body and his mind plunged into blackness.

"_What did you learn?"_ Aizen queried.

"The thing that Kuchiki Byakuya desires most…is to be able to destroy the beast that threatens his king. This is why he seeks Tenrai Tezawari."

"_We already knew that."_

"_Yes. He is very resistant to telling me more. But after he recovers from the shock, I will enter his mind again. I will find the answers you want. He will tell me everything."_

"_You must not damage him."_

"_Sousuke, are you growing too fond of him to be able to bear thinking of him being injured? How touching…"_

"_He is my soul bonded. Extract what you must, but do not damage him."_

"_Of course."_

Aizen lifted himself away from Byakuya and gazed down quietly at the unconscious noble. His hand strayed to the angry red mark that remained on Byakuya's chest where the hougyoku had burned him. He touched the burn marking with his fingertips and slowly healed it, then leaned forward and kissed the noble's unresponsive lips.

"You must learn to be more cooperative, my love. I do not enjoy hurting you, but neither will I tolerate you keeping secrets from me. Rest now. And when I return, you must answer all of my questions."

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow kept his spiritual pressure drawn in and masked as Aizen's reiatsu swept the fortress, trying to locate him. It had been reckless, he knew, threatening the shinigami, leaving traces of his reiatsu to give him away, but it had been crucial to know the state of things between the rogue shinigami and his lover. He smiled wryly, pleased at what he had found. Now, if he could avoid Aizen and return to the shinigami…

He felt the swell of Aizen's anger and kept his reiatsu carefully hidden as the shinigami's power continued to probe the area. He was almost certain he had been discovered as Aizen passed close by him, but then the shinigami gave a frustrated sigh and flash stepped away in the direction of the library. Grimmjow let out his breath and moved on cautious feet back in the direction of Aizen's bedroom. He paused near the door, spotting a worried Nel, who was pacing about the hallway with her frantic fraccion.

"He sounded like he had gone crazy!" exclaimed Dondachakka in a terrified voice, "I was sure he was going to kill poor Byakuya-san!"

"Yeah," agreed Pesche, shaking his head, "Crazy is right! Man, I tell you, that hougyoku is really scary! And did you hear that? When Byakuya-san wakes up, he's going to hurt him more! Nel-sama, we have to get out of here! The hougyoku has control of him, I tell you! We have to get out of here before he finishes off the shinigami and comes after us all!"

Nel stared up at the two with wide, sad eyes.

"Nel is scared too, but Nel can't just leave Byakuya-san to be hurt more and killed. Nel has to help Byakuya-san. But…how?"

"Ah, no!" exclaimed Pesche, "You _saw_ how pissed he was that Grimmjow touched his shinigami. We don't want to touch his shinigami. He'll destroy us, for sure!"

"But she does have a point, you know," argued Dondachakka, "It wouldn't be right to leave him here, knowing what will happen to him."

"And besides," Nel went on, "There is still the hougyoku to think about. You know it will try to break the seal on it, so that it can have all of its powers again."

"Well, what do we do?" said Dondachakka, gulping in fear, "It seems like either way, we are going to be in trouble. Either from Aizen-sama or the hougyoku! What do we do!"

"There, there, Dondachakka," Pesche said, patting his friend on the back, "I'm sure that Nel-sama has an idea, don't you, Nel-sama?"

Nel stared back at them helplessly.

"Nel isn't sure…"

"Then listen to me," Grimmjow said, stepping out into the open, "We have to take the shinigami with us and get the hell out of here!"

"Wh-what?" stammered Dondachakka.

"Are you _insane_?" gasped Pesche, "Do you even _know_ how dead we'd all be, doing something like that?"

"How would we avoid Byakuya-san being sensed?" asked Nel, "Aizen-sama and Byakuya-san are soul bonded."

"Look," said Grimmjow, "I just kept him from finding me, and I'll keep him from finding you too. But I can't get into his room, Nel. Only you can do that!"

Nel took a step back, her eyes widening even more.

"Nel doesn't know!" she exclaimed, "Grimmjow is angry and doesn't like Byakuya-san. Grimmjow could hurt Byakuya-san and that would hurt Nel!"

"I'm not going to hurt him. Nel, I know how to help him. I know someone who can help him to see again, and can give him back his powers so that he can continue his mission. And I didn't tell Aizen this, but…I know where the Valley of Whispers is."

"I don't think we should trust him," said Pesche skeptically, "He's never been all that nice to us. And you are right. He doesn't like Byakuya-san. He's probably going to trick us!"

"Oh!" moaned Dondachakka, holding his head, "What do we do? What do we DO?"

"Nel wants Grimmjow to tell her why he would help Byakuya-san. Because Nel _knows_ that Grimmjow does not like Byakuya-san!"

"Yeah, fine," admitted Grimmjow, "I don't really like shinigamis. But I really despise Aizen and we all _know_ the hogyoku is even more powerful than he is. We all need to get out of here. And by taking Byakuya along, we might be able to get to the Valley of Whispers before Aizen and keep him from getting what they're looking for there."

"What do we do then?" Nel asked.

"We hide it…and ourselves," Grimmjow said quietly, "Nel, if the hougyoku gets unsealed, he will come after us anyway. This way, we'll restore Byakuya's powers and vision, so he can help us, and we'll have something powerful to fight him with. It's better than just sitting here waiting for the hougyoku to take over, ne?"

Nel studied him for a long moment, then frowned deeply.

"Grimmjow must swear to protect Byakuya-san…and he must not break his word!"

"Fine, I give my word! I promise I will protect all of us. Just, let's go Nel! He'll be back as soon as he senses Byakuya is awake."

Nel's frown deepened and her eyes glowed for a moment.

"Nel expects Grimmjow will keep his word! If he doesn't, Nel will make him sorry!"

She turned away and opened the door, then crossed the room and climbed up onto the bed.

"Byakuya-san?" she whispered, shaking him gently.

The noble groaned softly, but remained asleep.

"Pesche, Dondachakka, come and help Nel," called the girl.

The two fraccion stepped warily into the room and lifted Byakuya out of the bed. They carried him out the door and into the hallway. Nel joined them a moment later carrying Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu.

"Whoa!" gasped Grimmjow, "What the hell do you think you're doing with _his_ zanpakutou? Are you crazy? Put it back!"

Nel shook her head firmly.

"Kyouka Suigetsu asked Nel to bring him along. He wants to help us."

"Wh-what? You're off your rocker!" snapped the Espada, "Put it back, you nutty little troll! He was obviously lying to get us caught! Aizen's probably on the way here right now!"

"No!" Nel yelled back at him, "Kyouka Suigetsu is sad because Aizen-sama abandoned him. Kyouka Suigetsu wants to protect Byakuya-san, now! We're taking him! Now, tell Nel which way to go!"

Grimmjow glared at the green-hilted zanpakutou and shook his head. He felt a stirring in the reiatsu around Aizen, where the rogue shinigami had enclosed himself in the library. Grimmjow froze.

"What is it?" asked Nel, "What is wrong with Grimmjow?"

"Oh fuck," hissed Grimmjow, "Don't you _feel_ that, Nel? It's the hougyoku! He did it! He found a way to unseal it! We have to get out of here, now, before he comes back! Nel!"

Nel stood frozen and shaking all over.

"It's over Nel!" snapped Grimmjow, "If we stay any longer, we're all dead. Now come on…and let's hope that zanpakutou can really hide us!"

The group flash stepped down the hallway and to the front doors as the heavy reiatsu continued to grow and swell in the air. Wind whistled through the fortress and the building shook softly.

"Run!" yelled Grimmjow.

He drew his zanpakutou.

"Grind, Pantera!" he shouted.

Behind him, Nel exploded into her adult form and released her own zanpakutou. Her body took on an equine shape and she motioned for her fraccion to come close.

"We have to separate," she told them, "Kyouka Suigetsu will hide our escape route. Go in different directions and remain hidden until I return!"

"But Nel-sama!" wailed the two.

"Put Byakuya-sama on my back."

The sobbing fraccion lashed the noble's body into place and stood back.

"Go now!" Nel called to them, following Grimmjow's released form, "Run!"

The fraccion dashed out the door and ran off in different directions as Nel paused, gazing at Grimmjow.

"To the north," he said pointing, "And don't stop for anything…not even for me. Move, Nel! He's coming!"

Power exploded inside the fortress behind them as the two and their unconscious charge disappeared into the desert.


	12. The Hollow Witch

**Chapter 12: The Hollow Witch**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_Fingers like ice and eyes that glow, you send black power into me and smile in that deadly way you have. There is deceit in all of your sweet words, and your illusions surround me. You promised to free me, but in your brittle arms, I have become hopelessly entangled._**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Grimmjow risked a glance behind them and reached out with his senses. He slowed then to a walk and Nel slowed alongside him.

"It seems we have escaped him for the moment."

She gazed back behind her, sensing the hougyoku's sweeping power.

"He continues to search, but Kyouka Suigetsu has confused him. He will break through the illusion and find our trail, but it will take time for him to reach us."

"He might not follow at all, anyway," Grimmjow suggested, shifting to his normal form.

He released the kido holding Byakuya to Nel's back, then climbed up behind the noble allowing Byakuya's body to rest against him. The shinigami still slept soundly, showing no signs he might be near waking. Grimmjow nudged Nel into motion and quietly examined the noble for injuries, then bound his wrists again.

"Why are you keeping bound?" asked Nel, "I thought we were helping Byakuya-san."

"We are," said Grimmjow gruffly, "but it's possible that Byakuya won't know what's best for him. He doesn't trust me. And yet, he trusts Aizen, even though the bastard is controlled by the hougyoku. Nel, he would try to go back. He really thinks he can save Aizen. No, we have to keep him bound until we reach the Valley of Whispers. We have to do this for his own good. Otherwise, it will just be like giving in to the will of the hougyoku…and I'm not about to do that."

"Very well," agreed Nel, "But you are not to mistreat him…in _any_ way. Do you understand? I am still stronger than you and I will protect Byakuya-san from you, even if it means I must fight you."

"Yeah, I get it," Grimmjow muttered, breathing in the noble's attractive scent, "I won't hurt him."

"That is good. Now, which way?"

"Keep heading north until you reach that dark area ahead and off to the right. She's in there…the one who can help us."

Nel's feet slid to a stop and she turned to glare at the Sexta Espada.

"You can't mean to go to _her_!" the girl exclaimed, "That witch is very dangerous, Grimmjow. And none who seek her assistance walk away unscathed. Are you sure there is no other way?"

"Huh," Grimmjow huffed, shaking his head, "We're on the run from the hougyoku, Nel. This bitch is definitely less dangerous than that thing…unless you _want_ to go back and all be killed!"

Nel turned her gaze towards the dark patch in the distance, her blue hair dancing around her.

"Very well. We will proceed, but we must not let our guard down for a moment with her. She will do whatever she can to ensnare us."

"Yeah, I figured," Grimmjow agreed.

He fell silent as the girl continued forward, her equine legs moving in a slow, relaxed run. Aizen was still far behind them and might not be following at all, and they would likely need to have speed available to them to escape the hollow witch…or Aizen, whichever threatened them first…and probably both, before the end of things.

Grimmjow used his legs to grip around Nel's body and kept his arms wrapped snugly around the slender shinigami. He stole glances at the lovely, porcelain features of his face and let the fingers of one hand touch the lengths of soft, black hair that fluttered around them.

"Aizen is one lucky bastard," he murmured, letting his lips touch the noble's ear, "You, on the other hand, have got to be the three world's _unluckiest_ shinigami, ne? Soul bonded to the most hated man in the history of all three worlds? In love with someone who would just as soon kill you as look at you? Shinigami, I thought he fucked over the Espada, but that's nothing compared to what he's doing to you…feeding you with sex and false promises, leading you on and making you think that he has to care, right? Then just when you feel like you can trust him, that damned rock in his chest fucks with his mind and he becomes someone you don't even know. Yeah, you didn't think I understood, did you. You think that nobody knows how that feels. But he's done that to a lot of people. And I hate him for it. I just wonder why you don't? What is driving you, shinigami? What do you think you are going to do? You can't free him from the hougyoku and you can't control it. You are going to die, shinigami. And you'll die looking him in the eyes and refusing to hate him for it!"

He shook his head and let his face rest against the noble's, as Nel's hooves carried them in near silence through the darkness and across the sand. He drifted off and slept with Byakuya in his arms until finally Nel slowed to a walk and gave a soft shudder.

"We have reached her territory," the girl said softly.

Grimmjow swallowed hard and nodded.

"We'll sleep for a few hours out here," he said softly, "Then we can go in when we are all well rested. We want to be on our toes when we meet with her. She is a really crafty piece of work…and proof that you don't have to be an Espada to be damned powerful."

"I'll take the first watch, while you sleep," Nel offered.

Grimmjow nodded and slid down off her back, then lifted Byakuya into his arms. He found a small sheltered spot among the rocks and placed Byakuya closest to the wall, curling his own body around the shinigami's to both protect and confine him. He checked the kido holding the noble's wrists together, then relaxed against his back. He breathed in the sweet sakura scent and could almost see the lovely, colorful world the noble came from. Well aware that Nel was not within eyeshot, he slipped his hands beneath the shinigami's cloak and slowly explored the soft skin beneath. His own member hardened and ached. And before he could fall asleep, he reached the point where need overcame reason.

He remembered how good the shinigami's mouth had tasted.

And he wanted more.

He turned Byakuya onto his back and touched the noble's face, then before he quite realized what he was doing, his hands had shifted their clothing aside and he laid on top of the unconscious noble's body. As their bodies touched, Grimmjow gasped in surprise and pulled away as a hard shock of reiatsu struck him.

_Do not touch my master's soul bonded! _hissed a male voice in his mind.

"Fuck…" the Sexta Espada muttered, his lips curling back angrily, "I knew we should have left you behind, damned sneaky bastard! Even though he abandoned you like garbage, you still do his bidding."

_I made a promise to protect this man that has nothing to do with Aizen Sousuke. I am loyal to my master, and this shinigami is going to free him from the hougyoku. And while he pursues that end, I will protect him to the best of my ability. Now, leave us._

Grimmjow growled discontentedly and lifted himself away from Byakuya. He set the shinigami's clothes back in order and left him sleeping in the shelter of rocks.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt sensation returning, and groaned softly at the ache in his head and body. He wondered first at the number of places that registered soreness, then reeled with a whole new level of shock as it registered that he was lying on sand. He caught his breath softly and tried to move one hand, only to find that the other was securely bound to it. His body was somewhat wedged into a corner of sand and rock, the rock seeming to provide cover. He gathered he had been taken by someone into the desert and imagined that he must know who would do such a thing. He listened carefully and heard the soft shift of a body nearby, but could not determine if his abductor was within eyeshot. The sound of footsteps made him freeze and he listened carefully.

"Grimmjow," said a female voice he thought sounded familiar, "It is time for you to take the next watch. I sensed Aizen's power sweeping over the area earlier, but I do not think he sensed us."

"Fine," grunted the Sexta Espada, yawning, "Get some sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours and we can move on."

Byakuya heard Grimmjow's soft footsteps fade and sensed the woman moving closer. She leaned over him and washed his face with a cool, wet cloth.

"You are awake now, Byakuya-san?" the feminine voice asked.

"I am," he replied softly, figuring she knew anyway, "Who are you? Are you a fraccion?"

The woman laughed good-naturedly.

"Of course not, silly. I am Nel. You only don't recognize my voice because I am in a different form. I have three forms. The toddler form is the one you know, but I also have this more humanoid form, and also an equine form."

"L-like a horse?" Byakuya queried.

"Actually, more like a centaur," the woman corrected him.

"Nel," he said softly, "Why am I bound? Why have you and Grimmjow taken me from the fortress?"

Nel sighed, then leaned forward and helped him to sit up.

"It was a difficult decision," she explained, "Of course, Grimmjow had planned to take you from the beginning, I only agreed to help him, because it became clear to us that Aizen-sama had found a way to unseal the hougyoku. He was coming to find you, and we decided that it was too dangerous to let you be found by him."

"I am soul bonded to him," Byakuya argued, "How is it even possible he does not sense me?"

"Aizen-sama cannot sense you because you have such low reiatsu and we have masked it to hide you."

"And what do you intend to do to me?" the noble asked, "I have to return to Sousuke. There is a part of my mission that I must complete before I go to the spirit dimension. I can only accomplish that task once my powers return."

"We are taking you to someone who can help you."

"Someone who can return my powers?" Byakuya mused, "Who?"

"It is a hollow witch," Nel said solemnly, "Normally, we avoid her kind. She is very dangerous. But Grimmjow believes that we can convince her to help you regain both your powers and your eyesight."

"I see," Byakuya said softly, "And then what, Nel? What does Grimmjow plan to do then?"

"He told me that he knows the location of the Valley of Whispers. He is going to take you there and we are to attempt to gain this weapon that you and Aizen-sama are seeking. Grimmjow wants to use it for protection from the hougyoku."

"But Nel," Byakuya objected, "it isn't going to work. I have to return to Sousuke. There are things I must do before we recover Tenrai Tezawari. That weapon's most effective release will only work if I see to the proper set of conditions ahead of time. And I have not done that."

"You do not understand, Byakuya-san," Nel said firmly, "You cannot return to Aizen-sama now that the hougyoku has been unsealed. He is not himself. He will hurt you. Grimmjow says that the hougyoku would make him kill you!"

Byakuya leaned forward and rested his face in his hands.

"So…you believe that it is best to make me your prisoner instead?" he asked softly.

"Byakuya-san," Nel said gently, "I was outside the door when Aizen-sama was last with you. I heard how the hougyoku attacked your mind. Do you truly believe that you can go back and not have the hougyoku do something even worse to you? I know that whatever you have to do was important, but it is more important still to keep you safe. Is there another way to achieve your goals before reaching the spirit dimension?"

Byakuya swallowed hard, grief welling up inside him until he felt as though he would drown in it. He leaned back against the rock wall with a devastated expression on his face. Nel moved closer and slipped an arm around him.

"It will be all right, Byakuya-san. We will liberate Tenrai Tezawari and you will complete your mission. Try to have faith in yourself."

The noble sighed resignedly and leaned into the young woman's embrace.

"Arigato Nel. I thank you for protecting me. I know I sounded as though I did not appreciate it. It is just that…I had certain hopes about how to achieve my mission, and I fear now that the price will be much higher. But I will not be discouraged. Much was asked of my forebear in the last such attempt on the king. He did not hesitate to give everything to his task…and Kuchiki Hajime became an example for all nobility. I will do no less…despite how difficult that may be."

He let his head rest wearily against Nel's shoulder and a soft shiver went through him. Nel's head turned and she stared at him silently.

_Byakuya-san…what is weighing so heavily on your mind? What is it that you fear you must give? Are you afraid of losing the man you love? Do you fear for yourself? Is there no one you can share your worries with?_

She turned her head, resting her face against his and closing her eyes.

"I thought you told me to keep _my_ hands off of him, Nel," Grimmjow growled, dropping down next to the two, "What the fuck are _you_ doing!"

Byakuya pulled away from Nel and sat up, his face turned towards the Sexta Espada. Grimmjow sighed in annoyance and fished some dried meat and cheese out of his pack. He took some for himself, gave some to Nel, then set some in Byakuya's bound hands.

"My reiatsu is so low, I don't actually need to eat," Byakuya said quietly, "I would hate to waste our provisions."

"Don't worry about it," the Espada said offhandedly, "There's plenty of food. Water and some wine too. Would you like something?"

"Water, if you don't mind," Byakuya requested softly.

He set the food in his lap and took the water bottle from Grimmjow. The Espada's fingers lingered on his in the exchange, sending a soft jolt of warning through the noble. He shifted towards Nel, but even though he couldn't see, he could feel Grimmjow watching him.

"So what happens now?" Byakuya asked softly.

"We finish eating," Grimmjow said flippantly, "Then after that, we go into her territory. We don't know where exactly she is in there. I suppose we will sense her as we get closer. And that annoying zanpakutou of Aizen's can keep us hidden to make sure that she doesn't sense us, but we sense her."

"You brought Kyouka Suigetsu?" said Byakuya, looking surprised.

"Yeah," grumbled Grimmjow, "Nel insisted. Apparently, the thing _wanted_ to be brought along…to protect you."

"I see," breathed the noble carefully.

So…if things go wrong, if Grimmjow tries anything, there is always that way. I can always use Kyouka Suigetsu to escape them.

They finished eating in silence, then Nel and Grimmjow packed away their things and Nel shifted to equine form to carry Byakuya on her back. Grimmjow walked a bit ahead of them, peering into the hazy darkness as they reached the edge of the hollow witch's territory.

"Grimmjow," Byakuya said quietly, "Will you please loose my hands? I give you my word. I will not try to escape you. I only wish to more mobile in case we are attacked."

The Espada huffed out a breath.

"Not like you could do anything useful, but okay. From what I've seen, you don't tend to break your word. Don't break it now," he warned the noble, "If you do, you will pay dearly for it. Trust me."

Byakuya said no more, but sat calmly on Nel's back as Grimmjow released the kido on his wrists. The Espada turned away and continued on ahead. As Nel followed, Byakuya moved his hands carefully, feeling around where he sat until he located the hilt of a zanpakutou.

"_Master…"_ sighed Senbonzakura.

The noble whispered a greeting to his zanpakutou, then continued to move his hands until they found a second blade.

"Byakuya…" Kyouka Suigetsu murmured in greeting.

Byakuya's hand wrapped around the hilt and he stifled a soft gasp as the blade's power moved warmly through him and his sight suddenly returned. He kept his eyes lowered and unfocused as the threesome moved forward and further into the hollow witch's territory.

"I can help you see as long as we are in physical contact. If there is trouble, then use me for fighting. Unlike your own blade, I can use my abilities to protect you without you having to have your powers."

"But without a shinigami to add his power to yours, you will be depleted more quickly."

"And yet, it is better than having no powers and vision at all, ne?"

"Hai. Arigato, Kyouka Suigetsu."

"You are welcome, my master's soul bonded. Only keep your promise to free him."

"I will," Byakuya promised silently, "no matter what the cost."

The blade's inner voice fell silent as the three moved forward in the trail. A smoke-like haze curled and thickened around them, distorting the lay of the land and obscuring Nel's view of Grimmjow walking ahead of her. They rounded a curve and when Nel emerged on the other side, Grimmjow was gone.

"Grimmjow?" she called softly, peering into the mist.

There was no answer…

Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly silenced as silken ropes wrapped around his head, gagging him and then slipped around his torso and tightened. He was pulled violently from Nel's back and dragged into a nest of more of the silky, sticky threads. He turned his head and saw a large, dark form scuttling swiftly in his direction. He managed to raise Kyouka Suigetsu and struck at the giant, spider-like creature, forcing it back. He pulled against the webbing that entangled him as the spider-creature attacked again. The thing made a growling noise and attacked a third time. Its whiplike legs slashed at the noble's sword arm and wrapped around the hilt of Kyouka Suigetsu. Byakuya held onto the blade for dear life, but found he could no longer lift it to block the creature. The spider-creature moved in close, baring dangerous looking fangs. It tore Kyouka Suigetsu from Byakuya's hand, leaving him blinded again. Then, with another nasty growl, the beast struck.

Byakuya felt a shock of pain as the creature's fangs sank into his shoulder. He screamed through the threads that gagged him and felt his body begin to lose sensation. As his awareness began to fade, a grating voice whispered in his fading mind.

"_Do not struggle. It will not save you. Sleep. Let yourself be carried away."_

"_NO_!" his mind screamed, "_NO_!"

"_Do not be afraid. Death will come swiftly and painlessly now…Relax. Accept your fate_."


	13. Monsters

**Chapter 13: Monsters**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Come closer. Let me feel the lively forces that flow from you. Full of power and passion, you are a flower from which I will draw the finest nectar. My only regret is that as I enjoy you, I must watch you fall still and fade away…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"_Are you still refusing to sleep?"_ whispered the spider's voice into Byakuya's spinning mind, _"You have a strong will to survive. But although you long to believe that you can break free of me, my poison has rendered you unable to move, and although you cannot feel it, I have cocooned you in my silk. You know the way of the spider, ne? I lured you into my web and bound you. And soon, I will feed upon your lifeblood and reiatsu. But do not worry, my prey, the poison that holds you motionless will also keep you from feeling pain as you are eaten. In this way, as I enjoy you, I can feel the presence of your mind…as it slowly accepts death and passes into shadow. But do not fear that it all ends there. No…death is only a doorway. Your soul will be reborn from me. You will return to life as one of my children. So do not see this as cruelty. I will only make you a part of me."_

He registered a sudden shiver in the web and the spider's mind broke away from his.

"You had best back off," said Grimmjow in a dangerous growl, "If you touch him again, I will shred you."

"_Oh, nice kitty," _hissed the spider, _"Does kitty want to join us?"_

Byakuya heard the hiss of a flash step and the web vibrated sharply as the two clashed. The click and snap of the spider's fangs sent chills down the noble's spine as he lay suspended, trying each limb to see if any could still cursed and Byakuya heard what sounded like slashing claws. The whipping sound of the spider's legs sounded in response, then Grimmjow swore again and the noble felt the power around them rise.

"I would have let you back down," the Espada snarled, "but you went too damned far, you eight-legged bitch! You draw my blood, and you're going to pay with your life."

An explosion ripped through the web, and Byakuya heard the grinding impact of a large body crashing into the ground. He felt himself falling, but was caught and held close.

"You are too damned much trouble," muttered Grimmjow, "I'm not so sure you're worth it."

The noble lay limply in the Espada's arms, still unable to move or see as Grimmjow started to carry him off.

"Kyouka Suigetsu!" he managed in a clipped gasp.

"What?" the Espada snapped impatiently, "That annoying zanpakutou? You'd be better off leaving it here and forgetting all about it! Anything connected to that man is about as trustworthy and likely to be on our side as the spider hollow whose jaws I just dragged you out of!"

"N-no…"

Grimmjow gave an aggravated sigh.

"Fine…fine, I'll get the damned sword! Just try not to get dragged off by some other hungry beast while I'm getting it!"

Byakuya heard unsettling cracking sounds and the shifting of rock and sand, and a few minutes later, Aizen's blade was returned to the sheath at his hip. He sighed softly in relief as the spirit's mind connected briefly with his in greeting and his vision was slowly restored. He caught his breath sharply as he took in the sight of a battered and weary looking Grimmjow.

"You're…hurt."

Grimmjow frowned.

"It's nothing. Shut up and don't get yourself riled. How did you know anyway?"

Byakuya connected with Senbonzakura.

"Senbonzakura, I want you to heal him."

"_Of course, Master," _the spirit replied.

Grimmjow started in surprise as the samurai shimmered into physical form. He came to his feet, his hand on his own weapon.

"Relax," Senbonzakura assured him, "My master wishes for me to heal you."

"I'm fine," argued the Espada, "Just…take care of him. I'll be fine, but something tells me that if we lose him, Nel and I are really fucked. So just…"

"Aside from the paralysis and the bite wound, my master is not hurt. And in any case, he has ordered me to heal you. He is grateful you freed him. Sit still."

Grimmjow fell silent as the samurai slowly restored his reiatsu, then healed the slashes on his skin. His eyes strayed to Byakuya, who lay still and quiet on the ground near them. The area had gone ominously silent.

"Hey, uh…we should get out of sight," Grimmjow suggested, "There are other things here that are more dangerous than that spider."

The samurai straightened and nodded, then opened a reiatsu cage. Grimmjow watched curiously as the samurai lifted Byakuya and carried him inside. Shaking his head, he followed.

"I've never seen anyone make one of these," he said, watching as Senbonzakura set about healing Byakuya's wounds.

"One must have command of a vast supply of reiatsu to do so successfully," Senbonzakura explained, "and my master is very powerful."

"Not right now, he isn't," sighed the Espada, "And I'll bet that an outlay of that kind of power drained you pretty substantially, especially because you don't have his power to support yours."

"It was necessary for us to have a place to safely rest before proceeding. Now, my master's mind is preoccupied with worries about Nel. Do you think that she is all right?"

"I think she most likely is," Grimmjow said, nodding, "She's a powerful Espada. She can handle herself."

"That is reassuring."

Senbonzakura rose, bowed briefly and disappeared. Grimmjow moved closer to Byakuya and examined him briefly.

"We need to do something to speed up your recovery. Even though we're in a safe place, time is a factor here. And the only way to work that poison through your system faster is to speed up the only parts of you that are moving…heart and lungs. Don't get pissed or anything, but I have to give you a jolt to speed things up."

He leaned over the noble and opened his top. As he reached out to touch Byakuya, he felt an angry swell of reiatsu and was shoved away.

"What the…?"

Another figure slowly took physical form next to the noble, a tall, slender man with dark olive skin, black hair and emerald green eyes. Grimmjow gave a hiss of discontent and retreated to the far side of the reiatsu cage.

"You again," he muttered, "You really are a pain in the ass."

The spirit ignored him and sat back against the wall of the reiatsu cage, then pulled Byakuya into his arms so that his back rested against the manifested spirit's chest. He slipped one arm around the noble's waist and curled the other around his face so that his fingers rested on one temple.

"Isn't your master going to be pissed that you were playing with his lover?" Grimmjow asked sarcastically.

The green eyes rose and met his briefly.

"I am a part of my master's soul. And in any case, I am only touching Byakuya for purposes of healing."

"He needs a good jolt to the heart to speed up his absorption of the poison," muttered the Espada, "Anyone knows that."

"Such a thing would unnecessarily endanger him," said the spirit, frowning.

"You have a better idea?" Grimmjow asked skeptically.

Kyouka Suigetsu focused deeply, raising the reiatsu around them.

"Stimulation of the sexual response cycle is a much safer way to increase heart rate and deepen breathing, while also maintaining a calm, receptive state."

"Wha-what? You're going to have sex with him?" Grimmjow asked in dismay, "You won't let me near the guy so you can keep him chaste for your lying, backstabbing master, but I have to just…"

"I am _not_ going to have sex with him," the spirit said dismissively, "I am capable of using illusion to place him in a sustained state of arousal. This will increase his heart rate and deepen his breathing, hastening his absorption of the toxin and restoring his mobility more quickly. It will still take a few hours, but the paralysis could last for another full day or even two otherwise. Now, if you don't mind, I do need to concentrate…"

"Oh!" Grimmjow said, rolling his eyes, "Don't mind me. Go ahead and give the princess a good mental fucking. I'm sure he'll enjoy it…until he wakes up with an aching hard on an no boyfriend around to give him some relief!"

"I will see he is not left uncomfortable," commented the spirit, focusing his power.

Grimmjow's eyes widened.

"How?"

"You may want to raise a privacy shield," suggested Kyouka Suigetsu blithely, "I would, but my concentration must be on sustaining a steady level of arousal for the required time."

"You've got to be kidding, right?" muttered the Espada, "Well, _I_ need to conserve energy too. So I'm not going to waste it on a privacy shield. I'm the only one here who can fight at full power. He's got no reiatsu and you and that other zanpakutou don't have shinigamis to bind their power to yours. Someone needs to stay at full power. So have all the fun you want over there with him, but I'm going to just sit here and watch."

"Suit yourself," Kyouka Suigetsu answered, giving him a smoldering glare, "but I am not responsible for _your_ discomfort when his mobility returns and he begins sweating, moaning and writhing. You may regret…"

"Shut the hell up and just get moving!" Grimmjow snapped, "We are trying to save time, _remember_?"

Kyouka Suigetsu shook his head dismissively and turned his attention back to the shinigami resting in his arms. He gazed deeply into the noble's dark eyes and invoked his power.

"Shatter," he whispered.

Byakuya's eyes widened, then slowly dilated and glazed over as the illusion rose in his mind, blocking everything else out.

XXXXXXXXXX

_He knelt quietly in the king's garden on a soft expanse of fallen blossoms beneath a sakura tree. Night had descended, and the full moon cast light down onto his flesh, the light colored royal robes he wore and the sakura petals that surrounded him, making them glow with celestial light. He heard soft footsteps approaching and a slow smile found it's way onto his lips. He remained motionless and waiting as the other reached him, paused and sighed._

"_Byakuya."_

"_My lord?"_

"_Did I keep you waiting long?"_

"_No," Byakuya answered quietly, "It was not so long, and in any case, I hardly noticed the time passing under such a tranquil moon."_

"_It is a lovely moon, ne? And the light here suits you," Aizen said, sitting down and placing his back against a sakura tree, "Thank you for waiting so patiently. Come, be with me."_

_The noble hesitated, his hand rising and settling over his heart as an ache rose inside. He caught his breath softly and his hand tightened. A warm hand came to rest on his shoulder and he turned. Aizen's brown eyes glinted softly with moonlight and they met his more wary gaze with affection._

"_What is it, my love?" he asked, touching the noble's face, "You are trembling."_

_He moved forward to kiss Byakuya, but the noble backed away, still on his knees. Aizen moved towards him again, curiosity in his expression._

"_What are you afraid of? Tell me."_

_Byakuya froze as Aizen's form leaned over him. A strong arm wrapped around his body and their eyes locked as Aizen lowered him gently onto his back amongst the scattered petals. Pale hands reached up and freed the tie at Aizen's waist, then sought the folds of clothing that covered his chest. The slender hands shook as Byakuya pushed the sides away and bared the other shinigami to the waist. He sucked in a surprised breath and his fingertips touched the center of the other man's chest questingly._

"_Is this…a dream?" Byakuya asked softly, "Is it an illusion?"_

_Aizen's lips curved into a smile._

"_For now it is a dream," he admitted, "but it is also a promise. This is what you want, isn't it?"_

_Byakuya stared helplessly into his lover's adoring eyes._

"_You want to see me free of the hougyoku. You want to be here with me. Isn't that right?"_

"_Of course that is what I want," the noble whispered, looking away, "but things have gotten so out of control. I was supposed to be with child when we entered the spirit realm. But our child was lost as were my powers, so even though we were together afterward, we could not conceive until my powers were restored. But the hougyoku has been unsealed and it will make you destroy me if I attempt to be with you again. That means we have no failsafe. If one of us dies, the three worlds will be thrown into chaos. We were meant to balance the worlds. And only we can do that. I am the royal consort, chosen by the former king to free his son…first from captivity, then from the hougyoku, then from his loneliness. All of my energy must be devoted to achieving those three tasks."_

_Aizen's fingertips brushed against his lips, leaving him speechless._

"_It is a great burden, I know, and it is true, you must proceed with no failsafe. But you are not alone. You have Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu, Nel and Grimmjow. And in addition to those, you have a strong heart. You must remain hopeful and continue to move forward."_

_Aizen kissed the noble's lips lingeringly._

"_It's wrong that you should have to carry so much of this on your own," whispered Aizen, "so while we have been given this brief respite from our troubles, we should remember what we are fighting for. Look around you, Byakuya. Look at me, the way I will be when we have accomplished what we set out to do. Taste our success and let it give you the strength you need to see you through."_

"_But this is just a dream. It isn't real!" Byakuya objected, pushing against Aizen's chest as the other man's lips made a line of kisses up the length of his throat and hot breath teased his ear._

"_And what do we have to feed our ambitions when nothing else will?" breathed Aizen, nipping at a soft, white earlobe, "Sometimes all we have are our dreams to keep us going when everything else tells us to stop…to give up."_

_He met the noble's dark, uncertain eyes questioningly._

"_You aren't going to give up, are you, Byakuya?" he asked, "because if you do, we will never reach this place. We will never have this peace. Our dreams will die with us. So let me strengthen you…and do not lose hope. You will find a way to do everything the king requires of you. He chose you because you have the power, the intelligence and the heart to see you through this. Now, close your eyes. Let me comfort you. You suffer because the hougyoku impedes our soul connection. But for this short time, let us enjoy uninterrupted bliss. Cease your resistance and allow me to sate the hunger you feel for me."_

_Any reply Byakuya would have made was swallowed by Aizen's mouth as it descended on his, the other man's hot tongue claiming his and stroking it into surrender. Tightened fingers laced into his and held his hands to the ground as Aizen's body pushed forward and rubbed teasingly against his. Even still clothed, Byakuya felt the intense heat of that other body and caught his breath sharply as one of Aizen's hands released his and loosed the tie at his waist. The lovely pale robes fell away and revealed the glowing white flesh beneath. Aizen took a long breath, enjoying the sakura scent and the way the noble's body shivered at the very touch of his breath. Byakuya gazed back at him through widened eyes as the last of their clothing fell away and that seething heat wrapped around him. Aizen's hands began a long, slow exploration of his trapped and half-stunned form as the noble's hands and eyes returned to the smooth, unblemished chest and torso of his lover. His eyes misted, even as Aizen's touches ignited him._

"_I wish this could be real," he whispered, stroking the place where the hougyoku had been._

"_Then make it real," Aizen replied, moving downward and riling a pink nipple with his tongue, then trailing a line of kisses across his lover's white breast to find and gently torment the other, "You have everything you need to do that."_

"_But I was supposed to make a child with you. I was warned not to enter the spirit dimension without first having the child's reiatsu inside me. And now, I dare not approach you. The hougyoku would force the full truth from me. And once it knew for certain that I sought its destruction, it would force you to destroy me, instead. Certainly, the hougyoku would not simply stand by and accept its own destruction!"_

"_And neither will you," Aizen whispered, kissing his way down Byakuya's heaving chest, lingering over his torso and finally sinking deeply into his navel, "You will find a way. I have every confidence that you will."_

_Byakuya's back arched and he drew a heavy, shaking breath._

"_You are not even real!" Byakuya objected, closing his eyes in despair, "This is not real. It's only a dream. If I told you these things in reality, the hougyoku would know them as well, and everything would be lost!"_

"_But you and your secrets are safe here, Byakuya. We are in the recesses of your own mind right now. And the one who has triggered this lovely interlude is none other than Kyouka Suigetsu, a piece of my own soul. Nothing you say or that passes between us will leave here. So let your worries rest and embrace what time we have here. Your troubles will still be there when you return to reality, but the time we have here is limited, my love. Let us not waste it."_

_Byakuya loosed a sigh and smiled at Aizen gratefully._

"_My apologies," he said, reaching down to where his lover's head rested on his abdomen and threading his finger's through Aizen's brown hair, "It is just that I want to be able to tell you everything…that you are the former king's rightful son, how you came to be parted from him, that this is why you encountered such isolation in Soul Society, and how all of this led you to betray your own father, not ever knowing who he was. It saddens me to think of it…and my lips dare not share that sadness until we stand safely within the palace of your father. Only then, after the hougyoku is destroyed can you finally claim the throne that was always meant to be yours!"_

"_And when the time comes, Byakuya, I will be as relieved to hear the words as you will be to say them. And I will forever treasure the lips that gave those words to me and undid years of loneliness. But for now, we must leave this. We have been gifted with an evening in this beautiful garden under an enchanting moon. We are meant to enjoy it, ne?"_

"_Yes…but…"_

_Aizen gave an amused sigh._

"_But what, my stubborn soul bonded?"_

"_Well, my lord, I have to admit to being a little uncomfortable also sharing this night with your zanpakutou."_

_Aizen laughed softly._

"_Is that all?" the brown eyed shinigami asked, "Well then, be assured that my zanpakutou knows to mind his own business and not to invade the privacy of your thoughts, even when he uses his powers to give us this time together. We are alone here, and in truth, even I am only a reflection created by your mind Byakuya."_

"_So I am only imagining I am with you?" the noble queried._

"_Exactly," Aizen replied, smiling, "Now then, what secret desires do you have. If we did have this night together, what would you want me to do to you?"_

"_Hmmm…" sighed Byakuya, sitting up and looking into the other man's affectionate eyes, "If indeed, you are a figment of my imagination, then you will already know my desires. I shouldn't have to speak them."_

_Aizen's smile widened._

"_You finally understand," he said, moving forward, "And I understand that my soul bonded is rather fond of being captured, restrained and gently dominated."_

"_Is that right?" asked Byakuya coyly, "Then if I am to be captured, I should first attempt to escape you. And here…"_

_He disappeared and reappeared several feet away._

"_Here," he went on, "My flash step works."_

"_Naked tag," said Aizen, his eyes gleaming, "How provocative!"_

_He followed the flash stepping noble through the grove of sakura, under a soft rain of pink petals, then out into an open meadow, across the long, waving grasses to the edge of a lake that reflected to lovely blue moon above them. They flash stepped up the face of a cliff and ran through the colorful gardens to where the king's waterfall splashed down into the healing pond. Byakuya slowed as he reached it, mesmerized at the sight of this place he had always dreamed of going, but had never seen in reality. A moment later, he was taken and thrown down into the pond, trapped gently beneath his lover's body and held in place. He was surprised to find that the water was warm and comfortable. He relaxed beneath Aizen, enjoying the pleasant assault on his body as his eyes wandered over the water, the flowers around them, then back to the rogue shinigami who laid atop him, feasting on him like a man starved._

_And he realized suddenly that he was as hungry to be touched as the man was to touch him. He was as anxious to return Aizen's kisses as he was to receive them. He turned suddenly, rolling them so that they laid partially beneath the waterfall. He lifted himself and leaned back, lacing their fingers together and letting the water run through his hair and down his back. Then, he sat forward and shook out his wet hair, sending droplets everywhere like tiny glowing stars. He looked down into the warm brown eyes and his lips quirked._

"_You should never have let me gain the upper hand," he said, flash stepping away._

_He was stunned as a hand caught his wrist and he was brought down in a flowerbed beside the water and trapped beneath Aizen again._

"_You seem to have forgotten," the other man said, smiling roguishly, "This is your fantasy, Byakuya. You actually want to be caught, ne?"_

"_Ah," the noble gasped as Aizen licked the water from the softly flushed skin of his throat, "A minor miscalculation. I can…"_

_He stopped as Aizen's mouth claimed his and his mind disappeared into a storm of wet, penetrating kisses. He closed his eyes, sighing contentedly as Aizen moved slowly down the length of his body, pleasuring relentlessly with lips, tongue and roving hands. He shifted underneath the other man, but only found that the body on top of his kept him trapped as the brown-eyed shinigami continued to work his way downward. He made a soft, final sigh of capitulation and groaned with contentment as strong hands parted his thighs and those slyly smiling lips wrapped around him._

_His eyes gazed up into the lovely night sky as shivers of pleasure washed over him, the hands on his thighs tightened, and that voracious mouth continued to devour him. He lost track of time and had no idea how long they laid beside the king's waterfall upon the crushed flowers with Aizen bringing him tantalizingly close to release, pausing to let his body calm, and then riling him all over again._

"_Are you trying to torment me?" he asked, panting softly, "like before?"_

"_Why?" asked the rogue shinigami, "Did you enjoy that?"_

"_What?" hissed the noble, frowning, "Of course not!"_

"_Oh, Byakuya, you are a terrible liar. I think you more than enjoyed it…not that you'd ever admit it. You truly are something of a rebel beneath that obedient, duty bound exterior. There is so much passion that no one ever sees. And I hope I am the first and last to witness it, love. I want to believe that this beauty was made for me, and me alone."_

"_How very selfish of you," the noble sighed, "but you are to be king…so it seems that I am fated to only ever be yours, ne?"_

"_Yes, Byakuya," Aizen said, returning to his mouth for a torrent of seething kisses, then wetting his fingers in the noble's mouth and gently preparing him, "That is to be your fate."_

_Byakuya closed his eyes again as Aizen's body claimed his._

"_What a lovely dream," he whispered, holding on tightly to his lover's shoulders and disappearing into the pleasure._

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow stared in something between fascination and dismay as Byakuya took a shuddering breath and began to move fitfully in Kyouka Suigetsu's arms. The spirit anchored the shinigami in place as pleasure erupted onto his face and he gasped and writhed within the zanpakutou's grasp. Slowly, he calmed and faded into sleep. Kyouka Suigetsu leaned over him, doing something that Grimmjow was sure he didn't want to see, then the zanpakutou sat back, looking somewhat worn.

"Well," said the Espada quietly, "That was…interesting. What, exactly did you do to him?"

"Nothing," the zanpakutou said sleepily, "I let his mind choose its path. I only made the interaction more real for him by taking over his senses and amplifying them."

He looked up at the Espada.

"Would you like to experience it?"

Grimmjow's jaw dropped.

"Uh," he said as the zanpakutou spirit rose and started towards him, "No, that's all right…"

"Nonsense," said Kyouka Suigetsu, smiling slyly, "It would be cruel to leave you riled the way you are."

"Ah…"

"Shatter…"


	14. The She-devil's Price

**Chapter 14: The She-Devil's Price**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**With desperate hands, you reach for a future you do not have. You place yourself at my feet, asking the impossible. I can give you the impossible. But will you pay the price?**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Grimmjow?"

_The blue-haired Espada growled with pleasure, thrusting deeply into the body that lay beneath his and meeting the youth's fierce eyes with equal force. Their reiatsu flashed wildly around them and sent jolts of electricity through them as their bodies strained against each other, each seeking both to pleasure his partner and to reach his own completion as well. Grimmjow lowered his head and bit down on the shinigami's throat, prompting a hiss of mixed pain and pleasure._

"_What's it going to take for you to understand?" Grimmjow snapped, "I'm going to make you climax first. So stop holding back, damn it!"_

_Brown eyes flashed a momentary gold, then went brown again._

"_Eh, stop being so bossy. I do what I want," said the ginger haired youth, "You want to be an asshole, go back to Hueco Mundo. If you want me, then stop trying to tell me what to do, Grimmjow…"_

"Grimmjow, wake up."

"_Go ahead and resist then!" Grimmjow said, meeting the youth's eyes with challenge, "I like it better when you don't make it so easy!"_

_He rose up over the shinigami, lifting a slender leg and placing it over his shoulder, then pounding furiously into the shinigami's responsive body. The ginger-haired youth groaned with pleasure as the Espada's length found the center of pleasure inside him and Grimmjow's hand pumped his stiff erection relentlessly. He smiled up at the hollow's determined face as he was, at last, overcome and hot seed pulsed onto their skin. Grimmjow returned his more affectionate gaze and pushed deep inside him, emptying himself before collapsing on top of the other and kissing him into senselessness._

"_You see," he sighed, "It's so much better when you cooperate. You may have bested me before, but in my own head, I am still king."_

_Ichigo laughed softly and sank into his mouth for another kiss._

"_You're never going to forget that battle, are you?" he sighed._

"_Fuck no," the Espada answered, licking the white skin of his throat, "You have no idea how much shit I took over losing to you."_

_He laughed softly._

"_I have no idea why I haven't lost my taste for strawberry…"_

"_You know a good thing when you taste it, ne?"_

"Grimmjow!"

"What the fuck?" the Espada gasped, sitting up and finding himself looking at Byakuya.

He realized suddenly that he was sweating heavily and had made a mess of himself while entrenched in Kyouka Suigetsu's illusion. He rose and sought his pack, then began to clean himself up and change.

"Why are you yelling at me?" the Espada snapped.

"It had been a long time and you didn't wake," the noble explained, "I was worried."

He noticed suddenly that the calm gray eyes were looking directly at him and that Byakuya's face and throat looked slightly flushed. He turned away and snarled at the noble over his shoulder.

"Since when can you see? I thought that you were still blind…but…that's right," he said, reminding himself, "That's how you knew I was hurt before."

"While I am in physical contact with Kyouka Suigetsu, I am able to see," Byakuya explained, "He can control my senses and can overcome the blindness. But I will still need to seek a permanent cure."

"Huh," huffed the Espada, "Unfortunately, it also doesn't give you your powers back either, but at least you can fight…unless you are disarmed."

"It is better than nothing," Byakuya agreed, "But we should be on our way."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow.

"In case you failed to notice, I'm kinda changing my clothes here, so if you'll kindly turn your back, I'll finish."

"Ah, my apologies," said Byakuya, flushing, Grimmjow thought, rather cutely.

He turned his back.

"I owe you my thanks, Grimmjow," the noble said quietly, "That spider was going to devour me."

Grimmjow laughed softly.

"Well, I'm tempted myself," he warned the noble, "So you won't wanna let your guard down."

Byakuya smirked.

"I will attempt to remember that," he said, turning to face the Espada as he finished dressing and prepared to open the reiatsu cage.

"Good," Grimmjow replied, "Now, when we leave here, you stick close to me. We stay on the trail and watch out for each other. The hollow witch is near here. She's already sensed us."

"How do you know?" asked the noble.

"Trust me, I know," the Espada assured him, "She knows everything that goes on in her territory. She knows we're here and that we're heading in her direction, but she doesn't know why. Depending on how curious we've made her, she'll decide whether to appear to us or let the creatures in her lair continue to attack us. Hang on. I'm opening the cage. We ought to know pretty quick if she's going to incite her minions to attack."

The reiatsu cage opened and the Espada and shinigami dropped lightly onto the trail. They waited in silence for several long minutes, listening to the odd, gurgling and moaning sounds issuing from the misted area around them. Byakuya stiffened suddenly.

"What is it?"

The noble closed his eyes for a moment, then sought Grimmjow's.

"I sensed _him_. He is outside the witch's lair…with Nel."

Grimmjow frowned and bit his lip, thinking. Byakuya started to turn back, but encountered a staying hand.

"What the hell do you think you're going to do?" Grimmjow asked, glaring at him.

"I cannot let Sousuke harm Nel," Byakuya said quietly, "She assisted me in getting away so that my powers could be restored."

"Yeah," agreed the blue-haired Espada, "And you haven't done that yet. You have to have your powers back before you can go anywhere near that guy!"

"But, Nel!"

"Nel knew what she was getting into!" Grimmjow snapped, "And besides, I told you. She is strong and she is smart. Also, unlike you right now, she has her powers. You need to focus on finishing this before you get any ideas about playing hero, got it?"

Byakuya's troubled eyes contemplated the trail behind them for several long minutes. Grimmjow stared at him quietly.

"Look, I know her. She'll be all right. Now, come on. It seems that the hollow witch is interested enough not to have us attacked. We should meet her soon."

Byakuya stared back in the direction they had come for another moment, then sighed discontentedly and turned to follow Grimmjow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nel stood on a sand dune outside the witch's lair, her eyes flashing with anger as she attempted to break through the energy field that had ejected her from the witch's territory.

"What's the matter?" she asked softly, "You knew your tricks wouldn't fool me? You were too wary of my power? Well, you can't keep me out forever!"

Her head bowed and her power swelled around her as she prepared to attack the energy field again. She was suddenly torn from her reverie as a hand touched her shoulder and Aizen Sousuke's voice rose up out of the darkness.

"Neliel," he said softly.

The third Espada froze, her eyes going wide as Aizen moved around in front of her and studied her quietly for a long moment.

"Do not worry," he said quietly, "I will not attack you. If I desired that, then you would already be dead."

Nel continued to stare at him in silence.

"I want you to give Byakuya a message. I want you to tell him that once his powers have been restored, I will be waiting for him…in the Valley of Whispers."

"Aizen-sama," whispered Nel, "You have located the valley?"

"Of course I did," Aizen said, smiling at her as though she was a child, "After I knew that you and Grimmjow had abducted Byakuya, I searched his room and found the information he hid there. It was very enlightening. In any case, I know where the valley is and I will wait there for Byakuya. Be certain he knows to expect me."

The shinigami turned and started to walk away, then stopped and looked back at her.

"And tell him that Kyouka Suigetsu is to remain with him and serve his needs until we meet in the valley."

Nel made a soft sound of surprise and Aizen blinked slowly.

"I have no use for that annoying zanpakutou anyway as the hougyoku has been restored and I have regained my full use of it."

Nel lowered her eyes and sighed softly.

_Aizen-sama…_

"See that he gets my message, Neliel."

A flash step sounded and Aizen disappeared.

_He is going to kill Byakuya-san…_

Her eyes turned back to the misted area in which Grimmjow and Byakuya now sought the witch-hollow.

_Byakuya-san…what will you do now?_

XXXXXXXXXX

Soutaichou stood at the head of the first division meeting room, observing the taichous and fukutaichous that had gathered. His eye fell too on Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia, who had also been called to attend. He knew that it was important to gain their cooperation. Because if anyone had any chance of bringing Byakuya to his senses and convincing him to surrender, it was his sister, his fukutaichou and friend, or the youth who had once defeated him upon Soukyoku Hill.

_And even if they fail to convince him, they will put him in a vulnerable position with his defenses down so that we can attack and kill him. Either way, we must not allow him to assist Aizen Sousuke in reaching the spirit realm!_

"I thank you for gathering so quickly," he told the gathered personnel, "Kurotsuchi taichou has information on the activities of the rogue taichou, Kuchiki Byakuya and the escaped enemy, Aizen Sousuke. Kurotsuchi taichou, give your report."

"Arigato, Soutaichou. As all of you now know, I was able to strike Kuchiki taichou with a poisoned dart as he fled the living world. The poison on the dart contained several compounds meant to incapacitate, weaken and eventually kill him. But in case he did not die, I also included a compound that would release a tiny parasite onto him so that I could follow his movements. I have been doing so and can report the following. First, Aizen Sousuke was able to obtain the help of the Espada, Neliel to keep Byakuya from dying from my poison. He was, however left blind and without power. He was recovering at Las Noches while Aizen searched for information on two subjects. First, he sought a way to restore full power to the hougyoku…and secondly, he searched for information regarding an ancient artifact…the divine blade, Tenrai Tezawari."

He paused, and a picture of the black snake-handled blade appeared.

"Tenrai Tezawari was crafted in the spirit realm in the time of Kuchiki Hajime. It is said that it is capable of killing anyone and anything. It was crafted with the intent of giving Kuchiki Hajime the means to protect his king from a demon beast who sought to possess him. Hajime was successful in protecting the king in the end, but years after his death, the blade disappeared. It was rumored to have been stolen and secreted somewhere in Hueco Mundo. Obviously, Aizen wants the blade to kill the spirit king…and Kuchiki taichou is helping him."

"My brother would not betray us!" Rukia insisted, "Nii-sama serves the king faithfully, and despite how things look, I know he has a plan to do that!"

"Rukia is right," Ichigo added, "I know Byakuya well enough to know he would not willingly betray the king. I also think he did these things that he did with a plan in mind."

"I do not know what plan he might have," Soutaichou said worriedly, but I do know several important facts. First, the spirit king's palace has been locked down. When this happened, I sought out Kuchiki taichou, as he is the highest-ranking noble leader, and I gave him a key to allow him and one other to enter the spirit dimension to investigate the matter. I had no idea at the time that he was helping Aizen, but this makes it critical that we stop those two from reaching the spirit dimension!"

"At the moment," Kurotsuchi taichou said, "Kuchiki taichou and Aizen are not together. Kuchiki taichou disappeared from my tracking in the far northern area of Hueco Mundo, and I am not certain of his intent. He might be separating from Aizen to search for the blade. I have learned that Aizen has restored the hougyoku and was in Kuchiki taichou's area, but left and headed south and west, away from the dimension wall. But before he left Las Noches, he locked out anyone from crossing over there. So, in short, we cannot reach Kuchiki taichou or Aizen until they leave Hueco Mundo."

"But," said Soutaichou solemnly, "They must return to the Seireitei to cross over into the spirit realm. They cannot use that key to enter from Hueco Mundo. So…when they do, we will be waiting. Abarai fukutaichou, I want you to take the full contingent of your squad, as well as Kuchiki Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo and to position yourselves at the crossover point. As soon as Kuchiki taichou appears, you must attempt to stop him from crossing over. If he is alone, you may try to talk some sense into him. But if Aizen is with him, you must immediately eliminate both of them. They must not be allowed to get past you!"

"I understand, sir," Renji said, his brown eyes dark and determined, "We will stop him from crossing over."

"Good," said Soutaichou, "Now go and make your preparations."

He watched as Renji, Rukia and Ichigo flash stepped away, then looked up at the rest of the taichous and fukutaichous.

"Now that they are gone," he went on, "We must put in place a backup plan, in case they fail. Soi Fon taichou, I want your best stealth force members to be in a position to take Kuchiki taichou down quickly."

"Kuchiki taichou?" said Soi Fon, "What about Aizen?"

"We cannot stop him if indeed the hougyoku has been restored, but we can slow him and attempt to reseal the hougyoku if we stop him from entering the spirit realm. Byakuya will be carrying the key to the spirit realm, so if we kill him and take it back, Aizen will be forced to consume time trying to find another way in. In that time, we had best hope we can find a way to reseal the hougyoku. Orders have gone out to Urahara Kisuke to work on that problem as we hold Aizen back. All of our energy will be focused on that task! Squads One, Two, Six and Eleven are assigned to protect the dimension wall. Squads Three, Five and Nine will guard the Rukongai and entrances to the Seireitei and living world. Squad Ten will patrol the living world and Squads Seven, Eight and Thirteen will patrol the Seireitei. Squad Four will have representatives in all areas and Squad Twelve will support Urahara Kisuke in his research on how to seal away the hougyoku again. Are there any questions?"

He glanced around the room and nodded.

"Then go to your posts…and remember. If you see Kuchiki taichou without Aizen, you may attempt to capture him, but if he is with Aizen, you must kill Byakuya quickly. Do not engage Aizen except with my authorization!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya and Grimmjow came to the end of the trail and found themselves looking at a very ordinary-seeming cabin.

"Well," said the Espada, "Here we are. And it appears she wants to at least talk before attacking, so that's a good thing."

He met Byakuya's wary gray eyes with unusual warmth.

"When we go inside, we'll have to be on guard for tricks. I'll watch your back and I hope you'll watch mine. I didn't come here to die, shinigami. So don't do anything stupid and piss her off, ne?"

"Come Grimmjow," Byakuya said, walking up to the door and opening it.

The two entered the cabin and found themselves in a very normal looking domicile. The cottage was a single large room separated into areas for cooking, eating and sleeping. And on a comfortable looking chair, a lovely woman with smooth black hair and deceptively demure looking violet eyes looked up at them in welcome.

"You look surprised," she said calmly, "Were you thinking that all witches are ugly and cackle?"

She turned her head slightly, revealing a lovely and intricate silver and purple bone mask.

"Now then," she went on, "What do you two lovely men want with me?"


	15. The Consort's Secret

**Chapter 15: The Consort's Secret**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Come, come inside. You are welcome here. One in body and in heart. Watch me consume it and leave you as heartless as me!**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"It seems you are spellbound," said the hollow witch, smiling, "Relax, gentlemen. If I wanted to attack you, I think that you have gathered that I would have. You have intrigued me. And if you are not eager to explain your presence here, then I have my own questions. First, why is a member of our former leader's Espada traveling with a shinigami? And not just any shinigami, but Kuchiki Byakuya…Taichou, clan leader?"

She smiled at the small hint of surprise in the noble's features.

"Are you surprised I know you?" she asked, "Well, let me take the mystery out of this for you. You see, as soon as I sensed you in my lair, I had my hollow spider attack you to see if you were easy to kill. And although Kuchiki taichou surely has power enough to defend himself, he was easily overcome. If not for you, Grimmjow, this shinigami would have died."

She gazed at Byakuya, her eyes unreadable.

"I hope you thanked Grimmjow for freeing you. In any case, having drawn your blood and reiatsu using my hollow spider, I was able to identify you. But knowing who you are does not tell me why you have come. And it does not tell me why Kuchiki taichou seems to have lost his powers."

"His loss of powers is the reason we're here," said Grimmjow, "Yumejaaku, I am sure you sensed that Aizen Sousuke has returned to Hueco Mundo."

The witch's eyes narrowed and glinted dangerously.

"The arrogant one," she said in a low hiss, "One who betrays his own kind. Yes, I sensed Aizen's return to Hueco Mundo."

Her eyes returned to Byakuya and a cold chill sliced through the noble.

"Is that why you are joining forces with Grimmjow, shinigami?" she asked softly, "Do you seek to kill that traitor?"

"No one can kill Aizen Sousuke as long as he bears the hougyoku within his soul," Byakuya answered.

At the sound of the noble's voice, the witch froze. She stared at Byakuya for several long minutes, then rose from her chair and slowly approached him, her slender body surrounded in dark mist and seeming to float slightly above the ground. Byakuya remained still and quiet as the hollow witch reached him and gazed more deeply into his eyes. A slender, white hand reached out and the icy palm touched his face, sending another shiver through Byakuya. He held still and said nothing more as the witch continued to hold his eyes and her fingers stroked his cheek.

"We need a way to defend ourselves against the hougyoku, because Aizen has unsealed it."

"I felt the vibration in our world's center," the witch acknowledged, "His powers have been restored and he is more than a match for you. You cannot hope to defeat him. You know that, ne?"

"We heard of an artifact, a blade that can kill anything. We think we know where it is, but unfortunately, Byakuya was injured while attempting to reach it and we need his powers restored before we can recover it."

"Hmmm…" the witch said, "I see. Quite a dilemma."

She curved her palm around the noble's cheek and placed her other hand over his heart. Her lips moved and her power flared around the two. She frowned slightly and blinked several times. Her power increased in intensity and the fury in her expression grew. Her reiatsu emitted a sharp hiss and she pulled away from Byakuya, staring.

"You!" she said, panting softly, "You were helping _him_!"

She caught her breath and covered her eyes. She was silent for several more minutes except for the angry hiss of her breath. Finally, she seemed to calm. She approached Byakuya and glared into his eyes.

"You are his lover," she said accusingly.

She reached down and rested a hand on the noble's abdomen.

"You were carrying his child."

Byakuya remained silent and looked into her eyes calmly.

"You were injured by your own kind while trying to pursue him. And this is how you lost your child…and your powers."

The witch frowned and her palm returned to Byakuya's face. She stared deeply into his eyes, and Byakuya felt the press of her power against his mind. He caught his breath and stepped back, but the witch moved with him. He felt her probing his mind.

"S-stop!" he gasped, trying again to back away.

"Hey," said Grimmjow, "Don't hurt him. I need him. He's our only protection against Aizen!"

The witch's eyes flared suddenly and her reiatsu exploded around her.

"What the…?" Grimmjow yelled, reaching out to pull Byakuya away from her.

The hollow witch extended a hand in the Sexta Espada's direction.

"Gekitai!" she snapped.

Light flashed around Grimmjow and the Espada disappeared. Byakuya caught his breath and backed away as the hollow witch moved in his direction.

"What have you done with Grimmjow?" demanded the noble, his eyes widening.

The witch moved closer.

"I forced him out of my lair. He has not been harmed. Come to me, shinigami."

Byakuya felt the touch of a wall against his back and froze, staring at the witch.

"You want your vision and your powers back, ne?" she said in a silken voice, "I can certainly help you with that. But first…I sense the mark of the king on you. It blocks my powers and does not allow me to see into the entirety of your mind. So tell me, Kuchiki taichou, what is your true mission? Are you going to kill Aizen Sousuke? Is that why you seek the blade?"

Byakuya looked steadily into her eyes.

"I already told you," he said, with more calm than he felt, "I cannot kill Aizen as long as the hougyoku is joined with his soul. That is enough for you to know."

Anger flared in the witch's eyes and her hand struck out at him, only to be caught, inches shy of his face.

"Insolent one!" the witch snapped, tearing away from him and extending her hand, "Hireki!"

Her power blazed towards the frozen noble, but as it reached him, white light rose up around him. There was a sound like glass shattering, and the witch's spell died.

"What?" Yumejaaku cried in surprise.

She glared in the noble's direction, catching her breath as Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu manifested and placed themselves between the hollow witch and Byakuya.

"Do not dare to attack my master's soul bonded!" snarled Kyouka Suigetsu, his green eyes gleaming.

"Do not dare to attack _my_ master!" added Senbonzakura, "If you harm him, we will destroy you!"

Pink light rose around Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu lit up with white fire. The reiatsu in the room rose until the small cabin shook. The two zanpakutous stood _shoulder_ to shoulder in front of the noble, raising their swords and preparing to attack.

"Hold," said Byakuya from behind them, "Do not attack her."

The witch smiled as the samurai and the olive skinned man caught their breath in surprise.

"Violence is unnecessary," Byakuya went on, calmly, "I came here because I was assured you could restore my vision and my powers. I assume you are capable of doing so?"

Yumejaaku's eyes narrowed and sparked.

"Of course I am capable, shinigami. But the question _you_ should be considering is what price you are willing to pay to receive healing from me. I will tell you with all honesty that with the exception of the wretched hougyoku that adorns your lover's chest, I am the only one in all of Hueco Mundo who can heal you. But that begs the question. If your lover is the hougyoku's _master_, then why did he not command the hougyoku to heal you?"

Byakuya's frown deepened.

"I believe we both know the answer to that, witch. So do not waste your time and mine asking pointless questions. I will make this simple. I have been commanded by the king to undertake a mission of grave importance. And knowing that I would require assistance in Hueco Mundo, his majesty authorized me to grant to any hollows who helped me the opportunity for salvation. If you assist me, I can free you from your life of futility here and allow you to live again. You need only accept my blade into the hole in your body and you will be freed. But, as you see, you must restore my powers to allow me to do this. Is this acceptable to you?"

The witch gazed at him for a moment, then cackled softly.

"So…you will save me from this life of futility I live as a hollow. You will give me a heart that beats and make me a part of the living world again, is that it?" she asked softly, "And you think I desire this? I ended up this way for a reason, Kuchiki taichou. I craved power…to the extent that my soul was tarnished with that craving as I died. And when I was reborn here, I had the power I wanted. I built this lair of that power…and I have no wish to leave it. But I am sure that we can come to terms. Tell your subordinates to move aside so that I can heal you."

"We have not agreed on terms," Byakuya objected, placing his hand on his weapon.

The witch lowered her eyes and dark power rose around her. Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu tensed and raised their power. The witch breathed a few words and suddenly black tendrils rose out of the ground and wrapped themselves around the arms and legs of the two zanpakutous. As they struggled to free themselves, the witch walked blithely between them and cornered Byakuya against the wall.

"What are you doing?" the noble snapped, "We haven't agreed to terms."

He tried to draw his sword, but black tendrils shot out from the wall and wrapped tightly around his wrists, ankles and waist.

"Be still," the witch said, her icy eyes transfixing him.

She placed a hand on his face, smiling wickedly.

"You will want to sleep through this, shinigami. It will be quite painful. Pleasant dreams!"

Byakuya inhaled sharply as his body was shocked with the witch's kido and everything around him went black.

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow snarled furiously and threw himself against the heavy shielding around the witch's lair.

"Dammit!" he yelled, "You can't keep me out! I'll shatter this wall and then I'll kill you!"

"Calm yourself," said Nel, staring at the invisible barrier, "Obviously, your attempts to get back in are only going to fail and you are wasting strength you may need to defend Byakuya-san when he returns."

"Don't you get it, Nel?" the Sexta Espada asked angrily, "She's going to kill him…or possess him or something. Whatever she does, he's completely unable to stop her!"

"Do not forget. Byakuya-san also has Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu. Their powers will protect him."

"What makes you so sure?" Grimmjow asked bitterly, "Remember, those two can fight, but only with their own strength. Neither has the power of his shinigami supporting him. Without that, they will use themselves up more quickly. And that means that they won't be there when Aizen comes after us."

"Aizen-sama was here," Nel said softly.

Grimmjow froze, then whirled about, staring.

"He was _here?_" When?"

"Just before the witch cast you out. He gave me a message for Byakuya-san."

"What?" Grimmjow gasped numbly, "What did he say?"

"He said that he found the information that you tried to hide from him. And he wants Byakuya-san to meet him in the Valley of Whispers."

"Damn," the Espada breathed, shaking his head, "Nel…"

"I know," Nel said quietly, "He will wait in the valley, because he knows that he and Byakuya-san must work together to obtain the blade. Once they do, I believe that the hougyoku will make him kill Byakuya-san and go after the king!"

"Shit," Grimmjow said in a shaky voice, "Shit, shit, shit! What are we going to do?"

He closed his eyes and thought deeply.

"Oh Nel, we are so screwed. Without that blade…we haven't got a snowball's chance in hell of protecting ourselves from him. And once he kills the king, you know he'll come back to destroy everyone who worked against him. It's how the bastard operates. There'll be no way to stop him!"

Nel met his eyes with a determined glare.

"Then once Byakuya-san escapes the witch, we must do our best to keep him alive. We must do so, because something tells me that as long as he lives, there is still a chance that he can complete his mission and free Aizen-sama from the hougyoku!"

"What?" snapped Grimmjow, "You've got to be kidding me! Nel, Byakuya isn't going to have any chance of freeing Aizen from that thing! He fused with it! There's no way to undo that!"

"Byakuya-san said he would…"

"And you actually believe that shit?" Grimmjow yelled, "That's pathetic! I don't care if he is a taichou, a noble and soul bound to that murdering bastard! The hougyoku is too strong, Nel. Our only protection was to steal that blade! We might have been able to protect ourselves with it. But now…"

Nel shook her head, still staring into the witch's lair.

"Grimmjow," she whispered, blinking slowly, "we must trust Byakuya-san."

"Huh…only a fool would be so stupid. It's like Aizen said. Trust makes you weak. Trust kills. Ask the rest of the Espada if you have any doubt about that."

"Since when do you listen to the hougyoku tainted Aizen-sama, Grimmjow?" Nel queried.

The Sexta Espada let out a disgusted breath and dropped onto his knees in the sand. He shook his head and tightened his lips, gazing into the witch's lair.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke paused at the entrance to the Valley of Whispers and looked back in the direction of the witch's lair. He sensed the dark flare of the witch's power and waited breathlessly. For a time, her power raged alone, with tracings of the power of Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu's straining against it. Then, very slowly, another reiatsu began to reach him. At first, in such small touches that he could barely sense it. But over time, it grew and swelled until it raged with the intensity of a small sun. He watched with heated, glinting eyes, waiting…

"My Byakuya," he breathed, drawing in the noble's released reiatsu, "Soon now. Soon you will meet me here. And…soon you will meet with your fate."

"_He will break free of the witch soon, and he will come here willingly, because the fool still believes that he can outsmart us. We will use him to liberate the blade and to lead us into the spirit dimension. Then…when the way to the palace is opened, you must cut him down. You must be swift and brutal, otherwise, he will turn on you. He will attack us. You know he must. It is what he has been planning all along_!"

"You are very concerned with Byakuya having to die, hougyoku," Aizen said softly, "Could it be that you feel some fear of what his true mission is?"

"_Fear is an emotion of the flesh," _the hougyoku responded, _"I am a creature of spirit and have no need to fear a mere shinigami."_

"Ah," said Aizen, closing his eyes, "but you have merged with a creature of the flesh. Perhaps my body confuses you?"

The hougyoku sent a wave of disapproval, but didn't answer right away. When it did speak to him again, the rogue shinigami had the distinct sense that there was something telling in what it did not say.

"_You must focus. Remember that you are the more vulnerable of us. That shinigami is soul bonded to you and it will hurt you to hurt him. Do not give in to that pain. When it is time, shut down your feelings and remember that this is for our glory. Once we stand on top, you will have everything you ever desired_!"

"Hmmm…" Aizen mused thoughtfully, still gazing in the direction of the witch's lair, "I see."

He breathed in slowly, enjoying the return of Byakuya's reiatsu to the air around him.

"Byakuya," he whispered, "Return to me…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Impale!"_ said the witch's voice in Byakuya's mind.

He felt something sharp enter his body and heard himself scream in pain. But somehow, he felt separated from the sensation, though not the nightmare of cognizance.

"_Impale…"_ the witch said again.

Another hot, stabbing pain passed through his body, making it yield another scream, then another…and another. He counted seven times that his body was breached before the witch whispered into his ear. He could sense that his disassociated body was panting heavily and groaning. Her hands touched his face and his vision slowly returned. He found that seven red bolts now protruded from her body and had pierced his. His breath came out in short, clipped gasps and his legs threatened to collapse beneath him.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?" he managed in a harsh whisper.

The witch gave him a wide, toothy smile.

"I have connected our spirit centers. And when I give the final command, a last bolt will impale your heart. When that happens, my power will flood your body and restore your spirit centers. Do not worry, Kuchiki taichou, the nightmare is almost over. Now, look into my eyes and do not look down!"

Byakuya took a shuddering breath and locked his eyes on hers. The witch's eyes looked back at him with challenge. She waited a long moment to tease him, then her lips parted and she whispered the last command.

"_Pierce and open!"_

There was no time to move as a final red bolt emerged from the hollow hole in her chest and shot forward. Byakuya knew better than to break eye contact and look down, but his eye picked up the motion anyway, and the pain, when it made contact was nearly shattering. This time, there was no distance between the pain and him. And, he realized, she had wanted it this way. She had to have known that his eye would not miss the motion…and by seeing, he lost his protection from the pain of what was happening. He was sickened with the certainty that she had purposely restored his vision before to make sure he felt it.

The witch's power rose and the red bolts that impaled him flared and stung inside his body, tearing at body and flesh until there was no holding back. Screams forced themselves from his restrained form and the witch smiled, opened her mouth wide and drank in the sounds of his pain. He didn't know how long they remained there, his hazed eyes frozen and locked on hers. Finally, the pain receded. The witch hissed something he couldn't understand, and all six bolts suddenly tore themselves from his body. Blood exploded out of him and he dropped to his knees, gasping as it continued to pour out of him. The witch stood over him, laughing.

"Well," she cackled, "Your powers are returned, shinigami. Now, why don't we test them?"

Byakuya caught his breath and surged to his feet as the witch drew back and fired a spell at him. The spell cracked against the shield he raised, then his power connected with Senbonzakura's and he found the weapon in his hand. He slashed at her, and caught his breath in surprise as she simply disappeared. He heard growls and screeches from outside the cabin, and knew better than to hesitate. He raised Senbonzakura, tip down and released his sword's power.

"Ban kai, senkai, Senbonzakura kageyoshi."

Pink swords rose around him, enclosing him and the two manifested zanpakutous broke free.

"Master!" cried Senbonzakura, "You must let us heal you!"

"No," Byakuya said firmly, "When my senkei explodes, we must escape."

"But you cannot run in such a state!" objected the zanpakutou.

Byakuya shook his head sternly and the pink swords began to rumble with power. The two zanpakutous closed in around Byakuya, their weapons ready. A moment later, Byakuya's power exploded around them.

"Run!" he commanded them.

The three shot back in the direction they had come, flash stepping along the trail and blasting anything that impeded them with a mixture of kido and pink petals. Tendrils reached for them from all directions and scores of spiders, snakes and clawed and toothy creatures struck at them from all around. Byakuya spotted the end of the trail and gathered his power. Recalling the manifested spirits and holding his zanpakutou out in front of him, he launched himself at the shielding meant to hold Nel and Grimmjow out, and him in. As he crashed into the shield, it shattered, and Byakuya tumbled through and rolled out onto the sand.

Instantly, Nel was at his side, and he felt something warm and wet splash onto his open wounds. He looked up into Nel's relieved expression and Grimmjow's bewildered glare and smiled at them in gratitude.

"Arigatou," he whispered.

Then darkness closed in around him again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yumejaaku stood in the ruins of her cabin, glaring at the destruction around her. She had known that Byakuya was a powerful shinigami, but had been taken by surprise that his powers returned so quickly that he was able to break free. Frowning, she stepped forward in the direction of where he had been restrained against the wall. She paused and looked down at the pool of his blood that decorated the broken flooring at her feet. Slowly, realization fell over her and she began to laugh softly. Her cackling laughter rose slowly into a maniacal release of joy. She reached into her damaged dress and fished out a small test tube. Kneeling down, she collected some of the noble's blood and a few of the petals from his zanpakutou. She capped the tube and slipped it back into her dress.

Then, with the smile still upon her face, she remained on her knees, feeding hungrily on the blood that was left behind on the buckled floor.

"You will pay for this, shinigami," she hissed, licking her lips, "I will make you pay!"


	16. The Calling

**Chapter 16: The Calling**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Softer than the night breeze over the desert sand, your voice whispers my name. But even in a whisper, the call echoes loudly in my mind. It brings me to my feet and sets me running. For yours is a voice I cannot resist, and your touch leaves me helpless. Your heart is lost and your eyes are cold, but until you live again, my heart shall beat for us both…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Do you think we've gone far enough?" Nel asked softly, turning her head to look back at Grimmjow and the deeply sleeping shinigami he held against him.

"Yeah, I think so," the Sexta Espada said, sliding down off her back and lifting Byakuya down, "I don't sense her anymore. She was only watching anyway. She didn't seem so interested in following. I guess once he showed his strength, she knew better than to fuck with him anymore. I don't think she'll bother us."

He sighed softly and set Byakuya down in a protected area within a cluster of rocks. Nel shifted back to her toddler form and curled up next to the noble. Grimmjow sat nearby, watching carefully for any movement and scanning the area for traces of malevolent reiatsu.

"How is he?" the Espada asked, glancing back at Nel.

"Byakuya-san's spirit centers are healed and functional, but they are still sensitive. Byakuya-san needs to rest more before going on to the Valley of Whispers."

"I think we all do," Grimmjow said, scanning the area around them again, "Get some sleep, Nel. I'll keep watch."

"But Grimmjow has barely gotten any sleep since we left Las Noches!" the girl objected, "Nel is worried that Grimmjow will wear himself out always watching. Grimmjow can trust Nel. And if we need more friends to watch, Nel can summon her fraccion."

"Oh…please, no," the Sexta Espada groaned, "Those guys give me an awful headache. Look, I'm not tired just yet. Go to sleep, Nel. I need to do some thinking. I have to figure out what we're going to do."

But even after Nel had settled next to Byakuya and gone to sleep, Grimmjow stared out over the dark desert, sensing Aizen's reiatsu in the distance and knowing he had to watch as much to make sure Byakuya didn't leave them as to sense dangers approaching. The noble hadn't said anything to indicate he would leave, but there had been a restlessness about him…something in his eyes that looked like longing.

But why would the man long for the one who was only waiting to kill him? It didn't make sense to the Espada. But then, love was a mystery to Grimmjow. He was often confused by how it seemed to pop up in the strangest of places…like between the traitor shinigami and the powerful shinigami noble. Or between Grimmjow himself, and the ginger-haired youth from the living world, who had beaten more than the Sexta Espada's body in their battle.

_Not that Ichigo returns the feeling or anything, But a guy can dream, right?_

He remembered the heated illusion Kyouka Suigetsu had placed in his mind and a smile came to his lips. It felt strange to wear a smile rather than a scowl, but he had been smiling more lately, thinking of Kurosaki Ichigo. And perhaps after they had the blade, they could hide out in the living world. Being that they would be hiding from Aizen, they could probably have Byakuya convince Urahara Kisuke to help them. And Ichigo was close to the former taichou.

_Huh…wishful thinking…_

_And besides, we're probably all fucked anyway. I hope that if the end is coming…I get to see him one last time._

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Byakuya…"_

_The noble's eyes opened and he caught his breath as he found himself back at Kuchiki Manor in the archive. The room was dark, but he could feel Aizen's reiatsu swirling somewhere nearby. Long tendrils of it reached out and teased him, coaxing him further inside the library, turning him towards the bedroom. He could barely see in the heavy darkness, but knew his way and moved with confidence, passing through the rows and rows of books and closing in on the room where his lover waited for him._

_He stopped in the doorway, peering into the darkness._

"_Why do you hesitate?"_

_He felt it, then…that other, darker presence._

"_Come back to me, Byakuya."_

_He knew better than to move any closer._

"_Sousuke…" he whispered._

_The man in the bed stood and started towards him. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest and his mind screamed for him to move…to run. But he stood frozen and staring as the dark form moved closer and closer to him._

"_So…" said a voice that no longer sounded like Aizen's, "You have accepted your fate. You are going to be cut. You are going to die. And your lover…will disappear."_

"_Disappear?" Byakuya whispered, his voice shaking, "What do you mean? Isn't he going to kill the king and steal the throne? Isn't that what his plan has been all along? And you are the hougyoku. You make dreams and wishes into reality."_

_The dark form stopped in front of him, and Byakuya peered into the darkness, trying to make out his features. He still looked like Aizen Sousuke, but his eyes were golden and far colder than the ones Byakuya knew._

"_What do your instincts tell you, my doomed lover? Do you see now? There is something that you…the shinigamis, and even the great Aizen have all missed. It isn't your fault, really. The history that explains everything that is going on was carefully concealed. Simply put, the very speaking of the truth of who I am…and how I really came to be is so dangerous, it was hidden."_

"_You were created by Aizen Sousuke, and a second hougyoku was created by Urahara Kisuke."_

"_That is only part of the truth, Byakuya. But you have long suspected this, haven't you? You always questioned how such a consciousness as the hougyoku came into existence. I am a greater spirit than they know…and a much older one. It is too bad that you will die, never having learned the whole story. If you knew it, then you could, perhaps, save him."_

_Byakuya's eyes widened and he tried to step back as a hand rose and wrapped around his throat._

"_I am going to kill you. You will die and disappear…and he will, too. He was a fool, like the rest, only a more powerful fool. But then, I needed a powerful fool to place me on the throne."_

_The hand around his throat tightened._

"_S-sousuke!" he gasped, "Sousuke, stop!"_

"_Why do you call for him?" the hougyoku asked, "You still think he is master? Know then, that he never was. I only let him believe that to draw him in. Die, Byakuya. Die and turn to dust!"_

_The hand holding his throat lifted him off the ground and another shot forward and buried itself in his chest_

_"Die."_

"N-no!" Byakuya gasped, sitting up suddenly and looking around.

"Byakuya-san!" Nel said, sitting up next to him.

He looked down at Nel's child form and breathed slowly to calm himself.

"Did Byakuya-san have a bad dream?" asked Nel, "Does Byakuya-san want Nel to take his dreams away so that Byakuya-san can sleep?"

"No," he whispered, shaking his head, "I will be all right."

He saw Grimmjow looking at them from where he stood guard in the distance. He moved closer and gazed at Byakuya in the darkness.

"You should let her help you sleep," he said gruffly, "Things are going to get a lot more difficult from here. We may not be able to get any rest once we meet up with Aizen again."

"You are most likely right about that," Byakuya admitted.

He laid down again, watching as Grimmjow settled near him and Nel rose and took over the watch.

"I've been thinking about the Valley of Whispers," Grimmjow said softly, "I was there before…and I know something that Aizen probably doesn't. There's a hidden entrance. It's on the north side, in the back, at the top and just over a rise there. I think that if we enter that way, then the thing that guards the blade will be too busy with Aizen to notice us slipping in."

He hesitated, thinking for a moment.

"Or if we go in with Aizen, it would also make a good escape route. I mean, if you are fast enough, you can escape the valley and cross over into the spirit dimension before he catches up with you."

"Grimmjow," Byakuya said quietly, "Arigato. We are in a difficult situation, and any advantage must be taken. I will consider that, and we can discuss strategy in the morning."

"Good thinking," yawned the Espada, "I don't know about you, but I'm really beat."

Grimmjow's eyes closed and Byakuya watched carefully until he was sure that the Sexta Espada slept. Using Kyouka Suigetsu to make it look as though he still slept on the ground near Grimmjow, he rose and slipped silently through the rocks, moving away from the direction Nel had gone. He touched the hilt of his lover's zanpakutou and felt that Aizen was awake and waiting for him.

_I wish I knew what to feel about this._

He walked slowly until he judged that Nel was unlikely to register his flash step, then moved to top speed, testing the strength of his fully healed body and finding himself essentially restored.

_And I will need every bit of that strength. But it's not just strength that will be important. I have to figure out what to do about the hougyoku. I know that as soon as Tenrai Tezawari is in our hands, it will cause Sousuke to force me to take him into the spirit dimension. Without the baby's reiatsu to fall back on, I must be successful in getting Sousuke to fight the control of the hougyoku. I cannot defeat it on my own. I just wish I knew more. I feel, as in that dream, that there is something we have misunderstood about it. I feel that very strongly._

He brought himself to his top speed, covering ground so fast that everything went by in a dark blur. The stars and crescent moon looked like odd streaks across the sky. He sensed hollows here and there, but arced his path around them and released a brushing of reiatsu to convince them he was not to be trifled with. Nothing emerged or set itself in his path and all too soon, he had reached the black rocks and odd dark mists that edged the Valley of Whispers. He slid to a stop and paused to catch his breath.

"Where are your friends?" asked Aizen, stepping out from a cluster of rocks, "I thought they would have seen you safely here after all of the trouble they went to, helping you to regain your powers."

He met Aizen's brown eyes calmly.

"I have my own agenda," he answered quietly, "I think you are aware that I did not leave you of my own accord. I only remained with them long enough to regain my powers, and then returned to you. I am committed to this mission, Sousuke. I will see it through to the end."

Aizen smiled.

"And I will, as well. Now…come to me, Byakuya. I have missed you."

A shiver passed through the noble as the moonlight caught Aizen's eyes and he couldn't tell if maybe they didn't look more golden than brown. He swallowed hard, remembering the dream he had had.

_But, _he told himself, _the hougyoku knows it needs me to obtain Tenrai Tezawari. It may attempt to probe my mind, but cannot use its full power, as it might injure me and render me useless in trying to retrieve the blade._

"Byakuya," Aizen said softly, "Perhaps you worry that the hougyoku will hurt you again."

_I know it for a fact._

"I will not allow it to harm you. Come to me."

He approached the rogue shinigami in slow, hesitant steps, pausing just out of reach. The two looked into each other's eyes silently.

"I have missed you as well," Byakuya said finally.

He took the last few steps and stood quietly in front of Aizen. A hand dropped to his waist and he lifted Kyouka Suigetsu and handed the sheathed blade to his lover. Aizen's fingers brushed Byakuya's lightly as the sword passed into the rogue shinigami's hand. He glanced at it and then set it down, leaning it against a rock. His hand slipped down and removed Senbonzakura from the noble's waistband as well. He set Byakuya's blade down next to his own, then moved forward and wrapped his arms around the noble, lowering his head to meet Byakuya's lips. The first meeting of their lips was tentative, and the second lingering. The third was deeper and longer, and by the end of the fourth, the rogue shinigami had taken Byakuya off his feet and laid him down in the sand. He leaned over the noble and took his time baring the lovely white flesh he had been craving. He reacquainted himself with it in slow, easy brushings of his lips and light caresses of his fingertips. Byakuya tilted his head back, sighing contentedly as Aizen's mouth attacked the tender flesh. He felt the man's fingers lace together with his.

"Sousuke…" he whispered, closing his eyes.

"_Kuchiki Byakuya,"_ the hougyoku's voice said into his mind, _"I know you are planning something. I will figure out what it is, and I will stop you."_

"_And I know you are planning something," _Byakuya thought in return, _"I will learn what it is and I will stop you."_

"_Naïve fool, you have no idea who you are dealing with!"_

"_You have carefully concealed your past," _the noble replied in thought, _"and that suggests that you are somehow vulnerable. I will learn what it is you fear…"_

"_I fear nothing, shinigami…and I am not vulnerable in any way. No matter what you attempt, I will destroy you."_

"_Is that what Sousuke wishes?" _the noble queried, _"because if he is master, then you should do as he wishes."_

The hougyoku hissed softly in his mind and fell silent, but Byakuya felt its reiatsu just beneath Aizen's and remained wary, even as his lover's mouth devoured the skin of his chest and the rogue shinigami continued his slow crawl down the noble's body, touching and tasting, teasing and caressing, and leaving Byakuya delightfully breathless.

It was odd, he thought, that Aizen was moving so slowly and proceeding with such gentleness. Always before, he had favored taking Byakuya by surprise, or sometimes when he didn't desire it. There was something very different in the way he was being touched, a tenderness that hadn't been there before. And when he considered the reasons why that could be, he came to a chilling conclusion.

_You know it is going to make you kill me. You truly do love me, but it isn't enough to make you fight the hougyoku's control._

_Is this the last time we'll be together, Sousuke?_

_Is that why you are looking at me this way?_

_I see the love in your eyes and I want to believe we have a chance of being successful. And indeed, if we make a child tonight, it will bring a return of hope. I need to have some hope that we can destroy that thing! Can you give me that hope…Sousuke?_

Warm fingers threaded into his hair and Aizen's mouth returned to his for a flurry of gentle, affectionate kisses.

"Byakuya," the rogue shinigami whispered, "Aishiteru yo."

He opened his mouth to respond, but gasped in surprise as something touched his wrist and locked into place around it. He tore away from the rogue shinigami, staring in dismay and touching the silver band on his wrist with trembling fingertips.

"Sousuke…why?" he asked in a devastated voice, "I thought you were pleased I had my powers back. And I cannot do my part in obtaining Tenrai Tezawari if I am powerless! You know this! Why did you do this?"

"Do not worry, my beloved," Aizen said, a little too pleasantly, "You will have your powers when you need them. They are merely at my command. The hougyoku feels it is best if you are powerless when we bond sexually…and when we sleep next to each other. It protects you too. I would like to avoid a repeat of the unpleasantness we had before."

"You might recall that I was powerless then, too," Byakuya said bitterly, pulling away when Aizen reached for him, "I wasn't the one attacking."

The rogue shinigami frowned.

"It is unlikely that we will be able to be together sexually after this…at least for the remainder of the mission. And I've missed you terribly while you were away from me."

"Did you?" Byakuya asked, sickness flooding his stomach, "You couldn't have told from my part. I felt nothing but the hougyoku's burning hatred for me. I still feel nothing coming from you, Sousuke. It's like you're another person. Please…take this off. Don't do this. I have been nothing but faithful to you from the beginning. Even before I…"

He broke of, choking on the words.

"Even before, when I despised you, I never betrayed you."

"But you are the king's servant. You are serving him, right now. And the king is my enemy, as well as the enemy of the hougyoku. So you see, some caution is in order. It is not personal, and it will not interfere with our mission to obtain Tenrai Tezawari."

He paused, studying Byakuya's devastated expression.

"It seems as though you need a moment to collect your thoughts."

He stood, quietly watching as Byakuya set his clothes back in place and flash stepped away. He found himself on a small rise, looking down into the Valley of Whispers. He sat down and gazed into that lonely, obscured place, sensing the dark reiatsu of the blade's guardian. It was already aware of their presence on the ridge, and only waited for them to come down into the valley.

"There is no peace anymore," he whispered into the cold breeze, "Everything around me is cold and dead. I want to go home again…to see my family and friends. But I don't have them anymore. I gave them all up for this…this service to my king. Yet even _he_ has abandoned me…"

"Yes," said Aizen's voice, startling him.

Strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he felt the touch of his lover's lips on the side of his neck, beneath his ear.

"You king has abandoned you…and you are far from home, and you have lost your family and friends. But you are not alone in this cold, dark place, Byakuya. For while we share this mission, we have each other. Remember that we are soul bonded. I hear the cries of your heart. And my heart answers them."

He kissed the noble firmly on the mouth and brought his head to rest on a warm shoulder.

"I once was bound and left in a dark, lonely cell, but then you came and freed me…first from my cell, then from my solitude. I swore a vow to myself that I would never forget that…and that if you should ever be bound in solitude as I was, I would free you from it. Lie down with me and let me comfort you."

Byakuya loosed a soft, pained breath.

"Sousuke…sex is not going to ease the loneliness, and you cannot be the one who acts to free me, because tonight you placed the bonds on me. Time and time again, I prove my faithfulness to you, and every time you reward that faithfulness with mistrust and deceit! At the same time, you place your faith in the hougyoku. You allow it to turn you in any direction it chooses."

"No," said the rogue shinigami, "It is my dreams and desires that guide the hougyoku's actions."

"Open your eyes, Sousuke!" Byakuya hissed, raising a slender wrist so that the sealing band shone in the moonlight, "Ask yourself how holding back my powers serves your dreams and desires. Ask yourself what danger I pose to you! If you truly explore those questions, you will see. I am not a threat to you. We are soul bonded and in love with each other. Neither of us is threatened by that love. But the hougyoku feels that _it_ is!"

Aizen laughed softly.

"The hougyoku has nothing to fear from us, Byakuya," he said reprovingly, "It is impervious to whatever plan you conceal from us. You speak of your faithfulness. You pretend you are faithful to me, but is it me you are serving now? We are joined in our efforts to obtain Tenrai Tezawari, but when that is done, do you not plan to abandon me and go running to your king to serve him? Yes, I listen to and accept the will of the hougyoku as you listen to and accept the will of the king."

"You make it sound as though the hougyoku is more powerful than you, Sousuke. Is that what you are saying? I submit to the king because his power is greater, but do you submit to the hougyoku because _it_ has greater power than you? I don't believe that it does. I think that you are stronger. I think that's why the hougyoku bound itself to you. I think that it has its own wishes and desires, but that to obtain them, it needed to bond itself to the strongest living being it could find."

"The hougyoku needs nothing from living beings, Byakuya. It is whole and perfect on its own. Its power is overwhelming!"

"Its power rests in the one who masters it, Sousuke," Byakuya reminded him, "Without a living mind, it is a useless stone…because it has no avenue to seek its own dreams and desires. You might remember that the next time you claim it is all powerful."

"Byakuya, my love," Aizen said, his hands tightening warningly, "It is not wise for you to speak such blasphemy. Perhaps this is why the hougyoku felt that you needed to be controlled."

The rogue shinigami's fingertips stroked the slim silver band on Byakuya's wrist lightly.

"You must learn your place if you are to remain at my side."

Byakuya's eyes flared and he pulled his hand away.

"_I_ have never for one moment forgotten my place, Sousuke. If anyone has…it is the hougyoku!"

He turned away and looked out over the dark, ominously quiet valley beneath them.

"Sousuke, I think that you sought the hougyoku because as powerful as you were as a shinigami, your powers exceeded the ones of the others around you to the point where you felt isolated from them. And because there was no higher talent to guide your own growth, you began to feel like that stone you created…powerful, ambitious, but needing someone to spur him along. I understand. But you don't need the hougyoku."

"Are you saying that there is a more powerful shinigami than me?" Aizen asked, sounding amused, "because even though the hougyoku was sealed away, neither Kurosaki Ichigo nor that damned Urahara was strong enough to defeat me on his own. So where is your higher power, Byakuya? Where is this one who can nudge me along to greater heights? Are you referring to your silly king? Don't make me laugh, noble lord and king's servant! His power is nothing compared to mine!"

"But don't you understand, Sousuke? To be king does not require having the greatest power, but it _does_ require those with power to use it wisely to look after our worlds. Power is only potential until it is put to use. You don't need greater power, Aizen Sousuke. You only need to know the true reason you were made different, greater and more powerful than any shinigami."

"Don't you mean any _other_ shinigami, Byakuya? You make it sound like I am not a shinigami at all."

_You aren't._

_You never have been._

_But now is not the right time to tell you. We have to secure the blade and enter the spirit dimension. Only then can your identity be revealed. If I told you now, the hougyoku would see the threat you are to its existence and it would destroy you._

"You, yourself claimed to have become more," Byakuya said, lowering his head and closing his eyes, "and who am I to argue the point?"

Aizen smiled affectionately and took the noble's face in his hands. He gazed down into Byakuya's dark, tormented eyes and kissed him gently.

"You are my lover," he whispered, kissing Byakuya again, "You are my soul bonded. And if you submit quietly now, you may yet live to join me when I take my place as king. Do not assume that taking this step to control your powers means that I do not value you, Byakuya. If I did not value you, then you would have been discarded already. I want to keep you with me. I want you to be at my side when I rule the three worlds."

_Then, we want the same things, Sousuke. The difference is that I already accept you as my king. You only need to open your eyes and know who you really are. Then you will see that you don't need the hougyoku to be king. You can defeat its hold on you and step forward to claim the throne you were meant to occupy._

"I love you," Aizen said, sinking deeply into Byakuya's mouth, his hands moving to strip their clothes away.

The noble relaxed in his arms, meeting his kisses hungrily and letting himself fall under the other man's spell. There was comfort, he thought, in feeling Aizen Sousuke's full strength as a lover…in being captured suddenly and brought down, in being laid bare and invaded with heat and power. He felt the burning of the hougyoku's hatred beneath his lover's every move, the hands that held him painfully tightly, the eyes that glinted with red and gold fury beneath the affectionate brown, the seething thrust into his unprepared body that dragged a low, gasping cry from deep inside, and the raging of Aizen's half-controlled body that left his shaking and breathless. He shivered at the icy feel of the man's fingers as they touched his throat, and for a moment wondered darkly if his nightmare was coming true. He froze, staring into Aizen's calm eyes and wondered if they would still look so serene as the man took his life.

Aizen's body shuddered and he breathed a contented sigh of completion. He rested quietly on top of Byakuya, closing his eyes and indulging in slower, more lingering kisses.

"You seem quite distracted," the rogue shinigami whispered, tracing the shell of an ear with his tongue, "I think this is what has interfered with your enjoyment of our joining."

"I assure you, I was with you every moment," Byakuya said quietly, "I admit to being distracted, but if you consider what is at stake, it is easy to understand how the weight of responsibility sits so heavily on my heart. In a few hours, we will go down into that valley, and everything in me tells me that nothing will be the same after that."

Byakuya was sure he saw a flash of regret in his lover's eyes. It was there and then gone an instant later, and replaced with a look of knowing.

"Byakuya," Aizen said softly, "We are never guaranteed a moment beyond this one. You know that. Let us not waste this moment worrying about what is to come. Close your eyes…and let me make you breathless with pleasure. I will make you forget that there is a tomorrow…"

Byakuya let his head fall back, breathing in deeply and gathering all of his cares, then releasing them in a long, shivering sigh of surrender. He closed his eyes and focused on the feel of his lover's lips and tongue and fingers, traveling down the length of his body and warming everything they touched. Insistent hands parted his thighs and that wonderfully hot mouth surrounded his aching arousal. He opened his eyes slightly to take in the sight of Aizen contented expression as his mouth rose and fell on the noble's length, and the rogue shinigami's fingers stroked his sensitive skin, then thrust into his wet entrance, seeking the pleasure center inside him and teasing it shamelessly until Byakuya could no longer keep his eyes open, nor stop the sounds that fell heedlessly from his lips.

"You look beautiful this way. This is the way I want to remember you."

Byakuya was prevented from reacting to the darkness in his lover's words as Aizen's fingers thrust in deeply and hooked, sending the noble into a feverish spiral. His senseless moans made the rogue shinigami smile as he devoured the hot pulses of Byakuya's release. He languidly licked away the last drops before returning to Byakuya's lips for a flurry of finishing kisses. He rolled onto his back and brought the noble's head to rest on his bared breast. Byakuya drifted off to sleep, ignoring the soft burn of the hougyoku's power.

_You haven't won yet._

_There is still enough strength in the two of us to fight you._

_Hougyoku…_


	17. The Guardian

**Chapter 17: The Guardian**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**I look into your eyes and see that my fate is a kaleidoscope of possibilities. You love and hate me, discard and treasure me, kiss me and kill me. But whatever path we take, I will accept the sting of your love on my skin, and even what should taste bitter, will fill my mouth with your sweet essence…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Why?" Nel whispered in a very small voice, staring at the hollowed out place in the sand, where the shinigami had lain, "Why did Byakuya-san go on his own? Byakuya-san knows that the hougyoku will hurt him! Nel doesn't understand why Byakuya-san would go to Aizen-sama if he knew the hougyoku would hurt him!"

"I know," muttered Grimmjow, "It doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense to me either, kid. Fucking shinigami has a death wish. He doesn't give two shits about his own survival. He has a mission…and Nel, I get the creepy feeling that Byakuya doesn't figure on coming back alive. I think that's what made him leave."

"What do Nel and Grimmjow do?" the distraught girl asked, her eyes filling with tears, "Nel doesn't want Byakuya-san to die! Nel wants Byakuya-san to live! Nel has to go and do something! Nel has to find a way to help Byakuya-san!"

"Whoa…whoa, wait a sec. You want to what? Nel, that's crazy! You would only get yourself killed right along with that crazy shinigami!"

Nel frowned.

"Byakuya-san is not crazy! Byakuya-san is not taking these risks because he wants to! Nel could feel Byakuya-san's emotions, Grimmjow. Byakuya-san is afraid of the hougyoku, and he is afraid of what he has to do! He feels lonely, because he is soul bonded to Aizen-sama, but Aizen-sama can't return his feelings properly because the hougyoku hates Byakuya-san. Still, Byakuya-san feels it is his duty to continue his mission. And even though he is afraid he might die, Byakuya-san must believe he can save Aizen-sama. That is probably why he went back alone. But Grimmjow, Nel thinks Byakuya-san cannot do this alone. Byakuya-san needs Nel's help and Nel is going to go!"

"You…you, baka!" exclaimed the Sexta Espada, "Nel, you _know _what will happen if you try to involve yourself! You are just going to pay with your life! Think about all of the Espadas who joined with Aizen! They trusted him and tried to help him and look what happened! Most of us died…"

Nel's eyes widened and she approached the blue-haired Espada slowly. She met his eyes with widened teary ones and clenched a hand in the folds of his hakama. Grimmjow stared down at her, his eyes intense.

"Nel knows Grimmjow still hurts because of what Aizen-sama did. But now we know how the hougyoku twisted Aizen-sama, and we have a chance to free him of it and destroy this thing that was really what caused our comrades' deaths. Nel knows Grimmjow wants that. Grimmjow needs to do something to have peace in his mind again. So does Nel…"

The Sexta Espada took a slow breath and nodded, swallowing hard.

"All right," he said, shaking his head. We're probably gonna get killed, but then what's the alternative? I think we have to do something, even if I don't know what yet. But I do know one thing. If we plan to do anything significant, we have to keep the hougyoku from making Aizen kill Byakuya. If anyone has any kind of shot at making that happen, I think that it's him. It's only a snowball's chance in hell, but hey, we could get lucky and actually come back alive. Who fucking knows."

Nel's eyes went wider and filled with tears.

"Grimmjow…" she sobbed softly, tugging on his pants leg.

The Sexta Espada sighed and gave her a weary look.

"Come on. I don't think he left so long ago. Maybe we can catch up with him."

Nel stepped back and exploded into her resurreccion form.

"You should climb on and save all of your strength for battle. I think you will need it."

Grimmjow's lips tightened for a moment, then he leapt onto her back and Nel shot forward in the direction of the Valley of Whispers.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya slipped free of Aizen and wrapped a yukata around his slender body. He left everything else behind and walked to the top of the hill overlooking the Valley of Whispers. He gazed down into the dark mists and thought he could already feel his life seeping away.

_This is really the tipping point. I was supposed to be carrying his child by now, but merely on instinct alone, the hougyoku has sensed the danger. As soon as we reach the Altar of Passage, it will make Sousuke kill me._

He wrapped his arms around his slender body, trying to ward off a chill that was caused by more than the icy weather.

_This man I have fallen in love with is going to look me in the eyes and take my life. And I have to let him._

He remembered then, the warmth of home, the sweet memories of his friends and family…everything he had left behind to join with Aizen Sousuke. He had, at first, hated the deceptively gentle looking brown-eyed shinigami. The man's voice had sent sick shivers through him and his touch had made him quiver inside. But somewhere along the line, he had realized that Aizen, though twisted by the hougyoku had potential to be much more. He only needed Byakuya to shatter the hougyoku's power over him, then the way would be cleared for him to learn of his destiny and become king.

_Not that I will live to see him crowned, but at least I will know whether or not we succeeded._

His thoughts went back to Rukia and Renji, to his friends and comrades, who now probably hated him and wished him dead.

_They will understand when the time comes, and knowing that is some comfort._

"_Byakuya_," whispered a soft voice on the wind.

It came from within the valley, so he knew not to trust it.

"_Byakuya_…" it called again, "_Come. I am waiting for you_."

He stared down into the dark mist, his lips tightening.

"The Guardian…" he whispered, staring, but not seeing the creature he knew was there.

Light rose up ahead of him and the sounds of laughter and conversation reached him. He felt the warm vibrations of being close to home again and smelled the savory scents of a celebratory feast. Light colored forms began to appear ahead of him, and their faces all seemed familiar to him. They laughed and smiled and beckoned him closer…and even though he knew better…even though he realized what was happening, he couldn't stop it. His feet moved despite him trying to resist.

_Kami, its power is greater than I thought._

His feet carried him forward and down the embankment and as he came closer, the white bodies of the others came closer to him as well. They smiled and reached out to him, offering him food and drink, dancing in whirling patterns around him, their voices filled with laughter and happiness, but echoing oddly. He had no choice but to move forward now. He had no power to resist them. He felt icy touches on his face and hair and the sense that someone horribly powerful was approaching.

_Sousuke…_

He didn't know why, while the Guardian closed in, his mind returned to this man he loved, who ironically, would only save him for the purpose of using and killing him. His thoughts should have been for his lost home, family and friends. But the image of Aizen grew in his mind, and Byakuya came face to face with why.

_Some part of me hasn't given up. Cursed though I may be…on the verge of being killed by this Guardian, doomed to die anyway when we reach the spirit dimension, somehow I still feel hope inside._

The reiatsu rose crushingly around him and the white bodies that surrounded him began to scatter. He turned and felt terror fire itself through his paralyzed form as he met the Guardian's eyes and prepared to feel the terrible force of its attack. Oddly, the creature did not attack him right away. It moved closer and their eyes locked. He felt the beast's mind connect with his briefly.

_Such sadness, you feel! Such despair! I have given you warm touches of home, smiles, laughter. Sweet memories. Yet your heart is in turmoil. Why?_

"Why does it matter?" he asked softly, "You have me. Why do you hesitate? Aren't you going to kill me?"

The guardian gazed at him for a moment.

_I am not a barbarian. I will consume you, but I do not wish for you to be in torment. Let you heart be at peace so that you will enter death without regret. Come now, I will give you what you need to calm your heart._

The shadowy form in front of him shimmered and took on Aizen Sousuke's shape. Byakuya inhaled softly as Aizen's hand loosed the tie on his yukata and bared chest and body for him to view. His breath caught in a strangled sob at the sight of the strong, unblemished chest that no longer bore the hougyoku.

_This is what you long for, ne?_

The guardian moved closer, but Aizen's freed form held Byakuya spellbound. The noble did not flinch as the Guardian took hold of him and began to lower him to the ground. He stared into his lover's gentle brown eyes and felt the familiar sensations of being held, loved, taken. A peaceful lassitude stole over him and he drifted on the edges of sleep, his eyes locked on the Guardian's, quietly accepting the gift of being freed, even for a moment, from his despair.

_But it is a lie._

He blinked and the image of Sousuke faded slightly.

"Shh," Sousuke's voice whispered to him, "Let your mind rest, Byakuya."

Soft, insistent kisses pleaded with him to calm again.

"No…" he whispered, "No, you are a lie! You are nothing but a lie! Let me go!"

"Shh, quit making such a fuss. Be calm…"

But, Byakuya realized, calm meant death. And all at once, he couldn't bear the thought of giving in to such a weak death. He might not have much in the way of hope, but all was not yet lost.

But it would be lost if he died here.

So he resolved not to let it happen.

He knew the beast wanted him to be calm and peaceful…perhaps because his victims' emotions might affect their suitability for consumption. So he loosed the turbulence that had been assaulting his heart and let it course through him. The hands that gripped him tightened painfully and the image of Aizen that had been used to lull him, wavered.

"So," the Guardian said, returning to his shadowy form, "You will not accept a peaceful death, ne? You want to fight? I will kill you either way. A soul tastes better when it is calm, but even bitter souls are worth taking when they are powerful like yours!"

Byakuya knew he stood no chance without his powers, without so much as a sword, but he struck out at the creature, breaking loose from his arms and running back up the embankment.

The guardian struck him from behind, taking him off his feet and sending him tumbling back down the embankment again. He scrambled to his feet and tried again, but the beast wrapped a clawed hand around his waist and dragged him down again.

Byakuya closed his eyes and waited for the end.

The guardian's lips brushed his throat and he felt, rather than saw, the bared fangs about to claim him. But a moment later, the ground rumbled all around them and an ungodly force threw the Guardian back, freeing Byakuya, then dragging him back up the embankment and over the hill. He was set down and quickly bared and examined. His stunned eyes recognized his lover, but a closer look revealed something completely unexpected.

He had felt the dizzying power and known it did not feel quite right. And now, one look into the man's eyes and he realized with a start that he hadn't been saved by Aizen Sousuke. Although Aizen likely would have wanted to save him, it was the hougyoku that had attacked the guardian and saved him.

It made sense to him.

The hougyoku still needed him to obtain Tenrai Tezawari and to enter the spirit dimension. Its act had been purely selfish. It made the noble want to scream…to run…to rip his own body apart.

And the hougyoku seemed to sense his sudden descent into insanity. It carefully strengthened the seal that held back his power and raised a shield to protect him from outside predators and to cut him off from access to anything dangerous.

He came to his feet and threw himself against the barrier repeatedly, screaming in pain and fury as despair drove him mad and made him take complete leave of his senses. Again and again, his body struck the glowing barrier. His breath came out in heaving moans and sobs and tears erupted onto his tormented face. The hougyoku controlled Aizen stared at him through bright golden eyes from outside the barrier. He hated those eyes with unbearable ferocity and wanted, insanely, to gouge them out. He tore at the barrier with bare hands, no longer feeling its sting as he did so. He felt the seal on his power quake under the force of his loss of control and the eyes of the man outside the barrier darkened with curiosity and wonder.

Byakuya knew what was happening, but had gone too far to stop it.

Pushed to the ends of his sanity and driven into madness, he had lost control of his spirit energy. And even though sealed away, his reiatsu was strong. And as he came undone, the chaos in his heart destabilized his reiatsu. The chaotic force of destabilized reiatsu simply couldn't be held back. And once it overwhelmed the seal.

_Shades! I'm going to become a hollow_!

_I cannot control it and this seal cannot hold it back!_

_The force of my emotion is too strong and the weight of my despair too heavy._

Aizen stepped forward as Byakuya dropped to his knees, unable to stop what was happening. He felt the barrier between them fall and he was gathered into strong arms.

"Byakuya!" Aizen's voice called, "Byakuya, you have to try to calm yourself. If you shatter the seal, you will begin to transition into a hollow. You must try to regain control!"

Byakuya loosed a heavy groan as the seal on his power flared and slowly began to buckle. The noble's body began to glow red and he screamed in madness and rending pain. The scream didn't even sound like him anymore.

_Oh no…it's…it's happening! I can feel it!_

On hands and knees, he clawed at the cold sand and tried desperately to regain control. He felt Aizen's arms wrap around him and pull him close.

"Get away!" he sobbed, "I don't want you to see…"

He didn't fear hurting his lover. Aizen couldn't be killed. But the thought of him seeing as his heart disappeared and he became lost to his misery was too much. He tried to push the other man away, but found his hands clenching instead. He wanted to pull away, but instead his head sought that strong, comforting shoulder. His lover's voice reached down inside him and the scent and feel of his body being so close made his heart slow and grow steady again.

"That's it," Aizen said quietly, "Breathe slowly. I have you."

The harsh flow of adrenaline began to fade and weariness stole over him. He rested calmly against his lover's shoulder and realized suddenly that his face was drenched in tears and he was shaking all over.

_I cannot allow myself to lose control like that again._

"You will be all right now. Sleep."

He fully expected Aizen to induce sleep forcefully, but his lover only held him close, brushing away the tears and feeding him gentle touches and kisses until sleep came naturally.

_We face such horrid odds, don't we, Sousuke?_

_I cannot see how we can come through this._

_But…_

_I am grateful that I had this last chance to be held by you._

_Aishiteru yo._

He knew well as his eyes closed that Aizen's eyes would remain open and watchful, and the hands that held him would not let go until it was time for him to wake again. He buried himself in the comfort of the thought and let everything else fall away.


	18. In The Valley

**Chapter 18: In The Valley**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Here, in this quiet and tranquil place, it is easy to hear the desires of the heart…the warm echoes of hearth and home, the sounds of laughter and love. But, beware the stillness. We are creatures of strife, and when the air around us becomes still enough to hear the song of our hearts…it is then that we must be most wary. We approach our dreams with caution and pray that they are real.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya felt himself rising out of sleep again, and found himself still anchored in Aizen Sousuke's arms. The calm brown eyes still watched him and gentle fingers traced the lines of his face and sank into his hair. It was, he realized, a very different face of his lover he was seeing. He was quite used to hating the man's arrogant, cocky nature, the smooth confidence and ruthlessness with which he manipulated the ones around him. And the man had manipulated him on many occasions, but there was no manipulation in the eyes that sought his, in the hands that touched him so affectionately and the warm, comfortable reiatsu that flowed around them.

But then, it made sense that the hougyoku would allow this. It had been surprised at the noble's near breakdown. It understood all too well that Byakuya's despair would undo everything for all of them if not brought back under control. And so it had retreated and allowed Aizen to surface. With the hougyoku quiet, he could almost forget it was there.

He wanted to.

He wanted to feel that dread reiatsu unwind itself from Aizen's, to see it wither and fade away. And in return, it wanted to see him suffer the same. Yet to reach the point of that conflict, the place and time where that battle would be fought, they had to first survive this one. And to do so would require that they work together.

"How are you feeling now?" Aizen asked, brushing their lips together lightly.

Byakuya realized suddenly how tightly he had been gripping his lover's clothing and relaxed his hands, then settled comfortably and met Aizen's mouth for several more, deeper kisses.

"I am fine."

Anger flared softly at the smirk Aizen gave him.

Typical.

"I don't know how 'fine' you are, but I will concede the point. Your reiatsu has calmed and you seem to have regained your senses, for now."

"For now?" Byakuya repeated, his lips tightening in protest.

_Maybe not all of that arrogance is because of the hougyoku. The man had to have a goodly amount of it to even attempt to make such a thing._

"Are you going to tell me that the forces that caused your emotional collapse have disappeared?" Aizen asked with smooth sarcasm, "I don't think you will. I think we both understand that a very careful balance must be kept for the remainder of our mission. Otherwise, this beautiful face I'm looking at will only be able to look back at me through the confines of a bone mask, ne?"

"Do you _always_ have to be so condescending?" Byakuya snapped, starting to pull away.

He was different parts stunned, furious and wonderously aroused as Aizen brought him down onto his back in the sand and attacked mouth and body hungrily.

"Is this better, Byakuya?" he breathed hotly in the trapped noble's ear, "Is this the part of me you prefer?"

His hands opened and shoved against the other man's chest, but enough of him was enjoying what was happening that his attempt to escape was weak at best.

"Damn you, you _do_ have a naughty side, ne, Byakuya?" Aizen laughed softly, "You can't seem to decide whether to love or hate me!"

"Shut up!" the noble hissed, turning and trying to twist free.

He found the man's cockiness almost too much to bear, but the feel of his body's strength, the heaviness of his reiatsu, the pleasing scent of him…the beauty in that deceptively gentle face. The man beneath it was not a gentle man, but he was, in fact, intoxicating.

And that made him hard to hate…although Byakuya wasn't above trying. But it was the indecision about his own emotions that gave Aizen the upper hand, and now it made Byakuya pause even in the midst of pulling free. His breath left him as he was lovingly tackled and brought down on his stomach. Feeling the tension in the noble's body, Aizen wasted no time, but hastily shoved enough clothing aside to allow a rough entry from behind. Byakuya gave a startled gasp at the pain and felt another flare of anger at his lover's soft laughter, but became lost in the heat of Aizen's body wrapping around his and bearing him to the ground, the warm breath and hard bite on the back of his neck that made his body arch upward, into the one who attacked…conquered…and gently possessed. In no time, he was completely undone, blinded with arousal and passion, panting and moaning heedlessly, fully given over to pleasure that could only be found with this one horridly beautiful man whom he had bound himself to.

In the midst of the fury of their coupling, as pleasure erupted through his body, Byakuya's lips parted and loosed something he hadn't planned on saying.

"M-my…lord!"

Heat flashed inside him and he felt Aizen's heaving chest pressed down against his back. The other man's face rested gently against his as their bodies hummed softly with the pleasant lassitude of afterglow. He held his breath and hoped Aizen hadn't heard, but realized, with a chill, a moment later that he actually had.

"Your lord?" he whispered, "Tell me, Byakuya. Why did you say that? Is it that you are dreaming of the sweet prize you'll earn for saving your ridiculous king? Were you holding me…and seeing someone else?" Aizen hissed softly.

He turned and laid his body on top of the noble.

"Do I need to make a note not to take you from behind so that you will remember who you are bonded to?"

Byakuya shivered softly at the burning jealousy in the man's eyes.

"Sousuke," he whispered, touching the man's frowning lips, "Watashi wa anata no mono. You needn't remind me who I am bonded to. And remember, once my duty to the king has been seen to, I will return to you. I belong to you…and if you still wish it, I will stay with you."

"But you do not love me."

"I have told you I love you, and that has not changed."

"But as soon as he have that blade, you will run from me."

Byakuya kissed Aizen's lips lingeringly.

"I will never run from you…only from the hougyoku. Would you have me hold still and give in quietly? Do you want to watch me die for you? Would that convince you, Sosusuke?"

Aizen's lips tightened, then he sighed softly.

"I don't want you to die," he whispered against Byakuya's lips, "I love you too. I knew what you felt. It was only your words that confused me. So tell me, what did they mean? If you were thinking of me when you said those words…Byakuya…could this mean that you _want_ me to be your king? Are your loyalties shifting?"

_I cannot let the hougyoku know._

_Sousuke, my loyalties are where they always have been…with my king. And when this is done and you are freed, you will understand._

He remained frozen, silent and staring as Aizen's lips smiled at him and kissed him again.

"It was an unfair question," he said dismissively, sitting up and brushing the sand from his skin, "You have said that I have your love, and I will let that be enough."

Byakuya watched as he moved away and began to dress. The noble too, found his clothes and slipped back into them, then joined Aizen at the top of the rise, looking down into the Valley of Whispers. He felt his lover's arm slide around him and leaned comfortably into the embrace.

"What did you learn about the Guardian?" Aizen asked.

Byakuya felt a shiver thinking about it, but ignored it. His eyes focused on the dark, misted valley as he answered.

"The Guardian likes its prey relaxed and peaceful. It uses images, sounds, touches, all kinds of sensual information to lull its victims to sleep, then devours them while they lie in a tranquil state. It will take a soul that fights, if that soul is powerful, but it prefers a peaceful one. It has sharp claws…and fangs it uses to drain lifeblood and reiatsu. Once it tastes you, I sense that it will pursue you, so if it bites, you had best find a way to kill it or it will haunt you."

"Perish the thought," whispered Aizen, "I think we must remain in physical contact for as long as possible. It will attempt to deceive us, so we need to be aware. I will attempt to distract the Guardian, and I want you to seek Tenrai Tezawari. We meet back here once you have it."

Byakuya swallowed hard and nodded, trying to ignore the look of mistrust in his lover's eyes. He felt Aizen's hand slip into his and walked alongside him on the trail. They knew there was no reason to attempt stealth.

It knew they were coming.

It knew and it waited for them, watching carefully as the two made their way down the long incline and paused at the bottom, blinking in the odd, disorienting mist. If not for the pressure of Aizen's hand on his, Byakuya would have been lost immediately. As it was, it was hard enough to remain within the boundaries of the trail, let alone to make one's way forward. Still, they did move along the trail, deep into the guardian's lair. Byakuya risked a glance over his shoulder, and gasped softly, noting that even as they passed, the trail shifted and reoriented.

_Getting out, then, will not be as simple as going back the way we came, then. But I didn't expect it would be easy._

He turned his head back to face forward and inhaled sharply as he noted that the one holding his hand no longer looked like his lover. He had never felt Sousuke's hand leave his, so it seemed that this must still be him.

But it looked like the Guardian.

_Which is it? Am I seeing Sousuke, who has been made to look like the Guardian…or is this the Guardian, himself? Were my senses deceived before? Or are they being deceived now?_

"Come, Byakuya," the man holding his hand said.

The mist thinned ahead of them and Byakuya's eyes widened as he spotted the snake-handled blade he knew to be Tenrai Tezawari. Alarms sounded in his mind and his senses prickled sharply.

"There it is," the Guardian told him, "and you are the rightful wielder, ne?"

_What do I do?_

"Byakuya," the creature went on, "You did come here for the blade, did you not? Take it."

It was then that something began to break through to him, some thin whisper of incoming danger. He breathed in deeply, and in that moment, realized that he wasn't standing, but lying down.

_What happened?_

Someone was holding him.

_The whole thing was an illusion, then? But when and where did it begin? When was I separated from Sousuke? Was he ever with me?_

He wasn't sure of anything, but one fact. If he remained where he was, he was going to die. He sat up and pulled free of the arms that tried to pull him down again. It was like being trapped in a nightmare, and if he couldn't get a grip on reality, then he and Sousuke were both going to die.

"Where are you going?" asked the Guardian.

He broke away from the creature and ran, heedless now of the trail and only seeking some point of reference of any kind. The trail shifted beneath his feet and the mist swelled around him. He stumbled into another person and tore himself free, then recognized the face looking back at him.

"Sousuke!" he gasped in relief.

The reiatsu around the man felt right now, and he sensed too the presence of the hougyoku and knew that this was, in fact Aizen.

"Are you all right?" he asked quickly, "The Guardian managed to separate us, but Kyouka Suigetsu can overwhelm his illusions. It will protect us both now. Come."

They moved forward, focusing deeply and sensing the presence of the dark blade they sought. As they closed in on it, the dark mist that had been surrounding them fell away and the way to the blade became clear. But the Guardian was moving towards them at breakneck speed, giving everything now to killing them before they could take the blade.

"It seems even Kyouka Suigetsu's power of illusion is not enough to hide us. You get Tenrai Tezawari," Aizen said breathlessly, "I will fight him."

He moved forward, and Byakuya felt the power of the hougyoku taking over. He turned and ran for the blade, drawing his zanpakutou and sending protective waves of pink petals ahead of him to sweep away any dangers. Sharp needle-like protrusions fired themselves from openings in the rocks and the dark bodies of hollows swelled around him. He struck with sword and kido, moving in scores of wickedly fast flash steps. Senbonzakura manifested suddenly next to him. With thick blasts of pink petals and kido bursts, they slowly cleared a path, opening the way to the blade. Byakuya rose up into the air and flash stepped to the altar it laid upon, taking it into his hand and raising it into the air. He wasn't sure how he knew to say the words that rose onto his lips and he would not remember them after, but at those words, fire exploded around him, incinerating the hollows and roaring through the valley, killing everything in its path. Byakuya gasped at the horrid power as everything was swept away all around. Everything went quiet then and Byakuya was left, panting and sweating, the blade burning in his palm.

Below him, deeper down in the valley, the Guardian paused in its battle with Aizen, it's eyes blazing as it spotted the noble, standing in front of the altar with the blade in hand. It tore away from Aizen and raced towards Byakuya, snarling, but was caught and turned aside, forced to face Aizen again in a seething battle of sword and claw, huge blasts of kido and blistering flash steps. Byakuya stood, staring, watching as the two locked against each other in battle and wondering what to do. Aizen was in no danger of dying and would likely kill the creature soon. Indeed, blood already ran down the Guardian's body in wet, red trails and left splashes on the ground around him.

You must leave now, before the battle ends! Kyouka Suigetsu's voice told him.

And he knew that if he did not wish to become the hougyoku's puppet, then he should listen to the zanpakutou. He even knew the fastest way out, thanks to what Grimmjow had said. He need only track north a bit and he could break free into the desert.

The ground rumbled suddenly under his feet, and looking down, he realized that Aizen was staring up at him through hard, golden eyes. A sudden motion of his hand and a shiver of reiatsu disturbed the rocks around Byakuya, and as he dodged and watched them come down, he realized what the hougyoku was doing by carefully bringing down around him like that.

_It is worried I might escape with the blade and seeks to trap me…_

He flash stepped clear and backed away slowly, his eyes on the two combatants as they circled and attacked each other. The sagging posture of the Guardian told Byakuya that the battle would end soon.

He had to decide what to do.

Suddenly, Aizen disappeared from where he stood, locked against the Guardian and reappeared next to Byakuya. The noble backed away warily, but Aizen's golden eyes transfixed him. Icy hands took hold of him and a binding kido spell began to wrap around his wrists and ankles. He managed, at the last moment to employ a special flash step that left an afterimage of him, so that he could flash step away before Aizen knew he was gone. He realized quickly as he ran up the rise, heading for the escape route to the north, that Aizen had abandoned the severely beaten Guardian and as the afterimage of a bound Byakuya failed and he sensed he'd been tricked, his reiatsu stretched out over the area and quickly located the retreating noble. Abandoning stealth in favor of speed, Byakuya flash stepped madly, straining to reach the hidden exit before Aizen could reach him. He was nearly there when Aizen's body dragged his down and he felt the cold hands scrabbling for Tenrai Tezawari. Byakuya took the blade in both hands and as Aizen turned him over, he struck viciously at the hougyoku in Aizen's chest.

Aizen's hands locked tightly around his wrists and the golden eyes burned into him.

"How DARE you!" hissed Aizen, freeing a hand and striking him so hard in the head that he saw stars and felt his consciousness beginning to fade.

He gazed dizzily into the hateful, golden eyes and struggled to move, but found he could not. Binding kido wrapped around his wrists and ankles and the hougyoku controlled Aizen took the blade from his hand and glowered down at him.

"Did you honestly think that I would let you get away?" he snarled, "That was very foolish. Now, you will remain my prisoner…and you will guide me into the spirit dimension, yourself, Byakuya."

_I planned to anyway, but it would not be good to reveal that._

The roar of the Guardian sounded nearby and Aizen smiled wickedly and shook his head.

"Troublesome," he said, "like you."

He set Tenrai Tezawari in front of Byakuya, well out of reach, but where he could see it.

"Keep an eye on that," he said, sarcastically, "I'll kill that stupid thing and be right back."

Byakuya watched as he disappeared, glad to be left with the blade, but with no idea how to escape. A quick check told him that the band on his wrist was now holding his powers away, so he could not use his full strength to break the kido. He was tied tightly, so he couldn't move very much. In fact, he thought, chances were slim to none that he could do much beyond wait for Aizen's return.

But as he heard the Guardian give a shattering, dying scream, someone appeared next to his bound form and a moment later, the kido binding him flashed and broke.

"Can't stay out of trouble, ne?" said Grimmjow, sarcastically, "Now, I'll bet you're sorry you left us behind, shinigami!"

He dragged a stunned Byakuya to his feet and shoved Tenrai Tezawari into his hand.

"Well?" he said impatiently, "Are you just going to stand there and let him catch you? Come on. Nel is waiting. We'll get you to the dimension wall!"

_And running from him will hide the fact I'm expecting to cross over with him. This could work in my favor._

He nodded briefly to Grimmjow and followed as the Espada led him up the rise and to the hidden exit. The two crawled out onto the cold desert sands and came to their feet, running as Aizen's angry shriek rose up behind them. Byakuya leapt onto Nel's back and Grimmjow took on his resurreccion form.

"Run!" the Sexta Espada howled at them as the rocks behind them suddenly exploded and Aizen appeared, "Nel! Get Byakuya out of here!"


	19. The Standoff

**Chapter 19: The Standoff**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**I have almost reached the moment of fate. All that I have fought and suffered for comes into sharper focus as your blade crosses mine and our eyes meet. I cannot explain and you cannot allow me to pass…and whichever sword is stronger, I will lose something dear.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Nel turned and fled with Byakuya clinging to her back and flattening himself against it as heavy kido fire pounded the area all around them. They lost sight of Grimmjow almost immediately, but could not stop as the devastating pressure around the hougyoku controlled Aizen swept towards them. Byakuya reached out with his senses and tried to find some touch, some bit of that person he knew, but the hougyoku had taken full control and now was directing every shred of power at capturing him.

And it wasn't only him at risk, he understood. For helping him, Nel and Grimmjow would meet with a swift, savage death. The only thing to do was run now…run and don't stop. Run and reach the crossover point. He already knew that the place would be guarded and lives might be lost there, but if he stayed ahead of Aizen's devilishly fast pursuit and played his cards right with the defenders of the crossover point, then perhaps…

_I know exactly what Soutaichou will do, but it will take a great deal of 'everything falling into place' for this to work. I have to say and do the right things…and I have to be dead on in my understanding of all of the players here. Everything depends on it._

He was brought back out of his thoughts by a heavy blast that shattered the rocks they were running past. His petals rose immediately to block the sharp bits from reaching Nel and him as they raced by. He turned his head to scan the area for Grimmjow, but he was nowhere to be found.

They came to a rocky area with a winding trail and lots of places that could be used to entrap them. Byakuya held his breath as Nel's body turned this way and that, pushing speed until her hooves slid slightly and he could feel that the slightest error or miscalculation and they would fall. He felt that Aizen was still following and knew it wa only a matter of time before the possessed man would attack. He looked around at the unsteady rocks and wondered if maybe it would be best to initiate some rock fall of his own.

As he raised his hands to send a kido blast, fire erupted around them, and Byakuya heard the cracking of rock around them. Dust rose in a choking cloud and only a quick implementation of his petals kept them from being swept away. Nel backed up against a rock wall, looking around to try to find the trail as the dust spun in the air and started to clear. They could feel that Aizen was close and knew they would be lucky if they were not taken right there.

"Nel!" cried Grimmjow's voice as Aizen stepped into view in front of them,"Catch!"

To Byakuya's amazement, the Sexta Espada fired a powerful cero directly at them. Nel turned slightly as the blast came in, opening her mouth and drinking in the power. Within seconds, she had swallowed the cero and her body was lit with incredible power. She turned towards Aizen and with a wicked scream, launched a cero Byakuya read to be twice as strong. Then he remembered Nel telling him…

_Cero doble. It takes the power of an incoming cero and sends it back double at the target._

The blast struck the rock just ahead of the pursuing Aizen and made him disappear into the dust. Their heads turned as more of the hazardous rock gave way around them, and they heard a sharp, pained cry.

"Grimmjow!" Nel gasped, dashing to where the Sexta Espada lay half-buried in the rock.

"Kami, get out of here, you two!" he growled.

"Nonsense," said Byakuya, "I will have you out of there in a moment.

A sharp, carefully directed pulse of kido shattered the rock on top of Grimmjow, then Byakuya pulled the injured hollow free. With a quick apology for his roughness, he shoved the Sexta Espada onto Nel's back and threw himself on behind him. Nel leapt free of the fallen rock and charged towards the end of the valley. Byakuya wrapped his arms around Grimmjow and held him in place as the jolting and jostling made him growl and hiss with pain.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two?" he snarled, "You should have taken the advantage of getting farther ahead of him. He wouldn't have even slowed to engage me!"

"No," Byakuya agreed as Nel ran on, "He would simply have finished you off as he went by."

"We weren't going to leave you behind," Nel panted as Aizen's power rose up behind them again, "We wouldn't do that to our friend."

"Well, then you're stupid asses that don't give a shit about staying alive!" he snapped.

Byakuya couldn't help but let his lips curve upward slightly. He pressed closer to the Sexta Espada and held on tightly as the rocky area gave way to open desert again.

"Whew," said Grimmjow in a lower, calmer tone as they continued forward, "I'm glad we're out of that. All of that rock was just disaster waiting to happen."

"But now it's an out and out running race," Byakuya said, resting his head on Grimmjow's shoulder, "and with the exception of Shihoin Yoruichi and me, he might have the fastest flash step of any shinigami."

"Don't worry," Grimmjow assured him, "Nel's sonido is among the fastest of our kind. She can stay ahead of him."

"But Aizen is only carrying his own weight," Byakuya reminded him, "Nel is carrying the two of us."

Grimmjow didn't answer, but his hand tightened on the noble's arm for a moment and he muttered something Byakuya couldn't hear.

They streaked on across the cold, black desert, making the field of bright stars over their heads blur. Byakuya clung to Grimmjow's back and extended his senses to scan the area behind them. He could feel Aizen growing closer, but he was not yet within sight. As time went on, a light rose up ahead of them.

"It's the shinigami base at the crossover point," Byakuya explained, "We will enter the Seireitei there and then run for the dimension wall. We cannot slow to engage the forces there."

"What? We're going to charge right through them?" Grimmjow asked, stunned.

"No," said Byakuya, "because those shinigamis are not going to see us."

"O-kay…" said the Espada, sounding mystified, "and how do we avoid that?"

"_He_ will use his shikai to provide cover for us," the noble said simply, "Nel, slow just slightly so he'll get a little closer."

"WHAT?!" Grimmjow shouted, "Let him get CLOSER, did you say? Are you nuts, shinigami? That guy is trying to kill us!"

"That guy is trying to get into the spirit dimension and wants to take me in with him. And once we reach the dimension wall, you have to let him take me."

Nel stiffened beneath him and Grimmjow's hands tightened painfully where they held his.

"Okay, that's beyond insane, you stupid fool! You can't take that bastard into the spirit dimension, he'll kill the king!"

"I am going to destroy the hougyoku," Byakuya said softly, "but for Tenrai Tezawari to reach full power and be able to do that, I must enter the palace temple."

"Huh…" Grimmjow mused, turning the words over in his stunned mind, "so…you aren't really trying to escape, ne? You want him to follow you."

"Yes," the noble admitted.

Grimmjow shook his head.

"I ought to have her stop, kill your motherfucking ass and take that blade myself! You're lucky I didn't figure this out before, shinigami! You would be dead right now!"

"Then it is a good thing I said nothing until we were pursued, ne?" Byakuya answered, smirking.

"Baka!" Grimmjow hissed, "You'd better be able to destroy that thing, or we're all going to be dead. You do know that, don't you?"

"It never leaves my mind," Byakuya assured him.

Nel moved faster as they reached the outer marker of the base. To the Espadas' surprise, it was as Byakuya said and there was no challenge as they entered the base and passed into the open senkaimon. They raced through the precipice world, Nel moving to top speed as Aizen appeared behind them and began firing crawling ropes all around them. Byakuya's petals attacked them immediately, but one caught her foot and sent her crashing to the ground, throwing the two man from her back. A heavy blast shook the cavern and Aizen flash stepped towards them as the three regained their feet. To their dismay, Nel lay unconscious, and in her toddler form, some of the falling rock having struck her as she fell. Grimmjow grabbed her and shouted to Byakuya.

"It's a foot race now, shinigami! You have to run! Go! I'll take care of Nel. RUN!"

Byakuya forced down the awful feeling of guilt that swelled up inside him and forced himself into flash steps. He still sensed Grimmjow behind him, but the Sexta Espada was wounded. He was managing to stay ahead of Aizen, but just barely.

Byakuya burst out of the precipice world and into the Seireitei, and then realized as heads turned and weapons rose around him that Aizen's zanpakutou was no longer protecting him.

He fell too far behind.

But there was no waiting for the man to catch up. Flash steps sounded, and cries for him to halt. He ignored them and braved the heavy pounding of kido as he flash stepped on. His heart ached with worry for the two Espadas behind him, but he knew better than to slow for even the time it would take to sense their position. And pursued as he was, there was nothing he could do to help them.

"Kuchiki taichou! STOP!" shouted the senkaimon guards.

He knew that now that he had been located, a sea of hell butterflies would go to wherever all of their forces were, and there would be heavy resistance when he reached the dimension wall. But the faster he reached it, the less the numbers who might be hurt in the exchange, and he still hadn't completely given up on the idea of trying to talk them into letting him pass.

_If only I am right about Soutaichou and what he will have done!_

He felt the rise of the hell butterflies and the closeness of pursuit and pushed himself to his top speed, knowing there was only one person who could match it. The trail he followed, the trees, the flowers and grass, the familiar houses all disappeared as he brought his full focus onto reaching that point just a short distance further ahead of him. He was surprised when he again sensed the movement of hell butterflies, but this time, something rose up and caused them to scatter and begin falling.

"What?" he panted.

_Something disrupted the relay. I wonder what. This means less troops at the crossover point, less people to be hurt in this. But I wonder who..._

He sensed a wickedly fast flash step and turned his head slightly, just in time to be brought down in the bushes and forced to the ground.

"Don't worry, Byakuya-bo," said Yoruichi's mellow voice, "I'm not apprehending you, but I do need to redirect you. You were about to blunder into a bunch of fighters. Come with me."

"Wh-what?"

"You're going to the dimension wall, ne?"

"Well…yes," he admitted, figuring he had little choice but to trust her.

As they climbed to their feet, Grimmjow ran into view and slid to a stop near them.

"It's all right, Grimmjow," Byakuya said quickly, "She is a friend."

"You have interesting friends these days, Byakuya-bo," Yoruichi said, smirking, "but we'll talk later. Kisuke disrupted the hell butterflies sent to sound the alarm. It will still reach everyone eventually, so we have to hurry. We can talk while we run."

The group flash stepped on down the hidden pathway where Yoruichi led them.

"So," Byakuya said softly, "Kisuke has chosen to help me?"

"I convinced him," Yoruichi said softly.

"And who convinced you, Senpai?" Byakuya asked, turning one gray eye to observe her as they ran.

"Why would I need convincing?" she asked, smiling, "I know you. I know that you would not betray us all. I don't expect you to explain. If you are under royal order, then you can't. I understand what a danger that could be to your mission."

"I only wish the Gotei 13 would be so understanding," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "but they are under Central 46 and not so understanding of the protocol of the noble families. I'm surprised Kisuke would listen to you."

"Well," said Yoruichi, "it took a little convincing, but eventually, he came around. And I have a feeling that he's not the only one still on your side."

"Who are you talking about? Rukia?"

"Rukia…Ichigo, and I think with a little convincing, Renji. Renji and your squad have had it hard while you were gone. You have been labeled a traitor, and the other squads haven't been so quiet about their opinions. But Renji has done a good job of holding things together. I think he's still with you, Byakuya-bo. So don't be too hasty in deciding he's not."

"And he'll be the one I have to convince, ne?"

"Yes," Yoruichi agreed, "Soutaichou has sent your squad to the dimension wall crossover point. Renji will be there. Rukia and Ichigo will be there too. And I have made relatively certain that you will not have the whole Gotei 13 reaching you. But Byakuya, really be careful not to stand too out in the open. The secret mobile corps is all over that area and as soon as they get a shot at you, they will take it. I have to go on ahead of you. I'll clear the way. Just be ready for anything…anything at all!"

Byakuya nodded, then watched as Yoruichi disappeared. He turned his head slightly and checked to make sure the Espadas were still with him. He spotted Grimmjow immediately, but the Sexta Espada looked weary. Even so, he flash stepped forward, uncomplaining and kept pace. Byakuya knew better than to slow significantly, but he eased the pace as much as he could. He needed to, in any case, so that he would regain the protection of Kyoka Suigetsu. He reached out with his senses and found Aizen a short distance behind them…not attempting to gain more ground, but simply following.

_He knows we are near the crossover point and he doesn't realize that he holds the key. He will make his move soon._

He was distracted from thinking about Aizen, as he passed into an area that felt laden with kido spells. He knew then that the secret mobile corps was concealed in the area, but Kyouka Suigetsu's power still protected them. Yet as they closed in on the crossover point, the heavy feeling of power increased and he could feel that the power of Aizen's zanpakutou was fading. Something had been placed in the area to ward off use of kido and zanpakutou. He could still flash step…and that meant he still had a chance, but he felt a feeling of dread settle in.

They came out of the forest and into a clearing, and Byakuya prepared himself mentally, knowing what was coming. As he reached the center of the clearing, flash steps sounded all around them, locking Nel, Grimmjow and him into a tight circle, just yards away from the dimension wall. A tall, red-haired shinigami stepped forward, holding his zanpakutou ready.

"Renji…" Byakuya breathed, looking into his subordinate's furious glare.

"Taichou," he said in a low, deadly voice, "you must surrender quietly. There are secret mobile corps and Gotei 13 troops all around. They have orders to kill you immediately if you fight us."

_Or if you just move so that they have a clean shot…_ Byakuya thought wryly.

"I do not want to fight you, Renji," the noble said quietly, "but I must be permitted to enter the spirit dimension. I promise you, Renji, I am not going to betray you, but it is imperative that you let me pass."

Renji's lips tightened into a snarl.

"You said that you would not betray us…that you would not betray ME!" he said angrily, "but then you disappeared with him! You were having sex with _him_! How can you be fucking that guy…letting him loose…helping him, and still be with us? You can't be. That's the only answer. You betrayed us…and you used my friendship to blind me."

"No, it isn't like that, truly. I still remember what I said, and I hold to it!"

"NO! Shut up. Stop trying to confuse me! I can't let you go. Now, put down your weapon and surrender quietly, or the secret mobile corps will kill you!"


	20. The Revelation

**Chapter 20: The Revelation**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Weary of running, my feet fall still. Surrounded by beloved allies and enemies, my heart no longer knows what to desire. An end will be made now, for better or worse. I look into a sea of angry eyes and silently wish them farewell. You take my hand to lead me to my fate. I do not fight anymore, but hold my breath and let myself fall.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_"Renji…" Byakuya breathed, looking into his subordinate's furious glare._

_"Taichou," he said in a low, deadly voice, "you must surrender quietly. There are secret mobile corps and Gotei 13 troops all around. They have orders to kill you immediately if you fight us."_

_Or if you just move so that they have a clean shot… Byakuya thought wryly._

_"I do not want to fight you, Renji," the noble said quietly, "but I must be permitted to enter the spirit dimension. I promise you, Renji, I am not going to betray you, but it is imperative that you let me pass."_

_Renji's lips tightened into a snarl._

_"You said that you would not betray us…that you would not betray ME!" he said angrily, "but then you disappeared with him! You were having sex with him! How can you be fucking that guy…letting him loose…helping him, and still be with us? You can't be. That's the only answer. You betrayed us…and you used my friendship to blind me."_

_"No, it isn't like that, truly. I still remember what I said, and I hold to it!"_

_"NO! Shut up. Stop trying to confuse me! I can't let you go. Now, put down your weapon and surrender quietly, or the secret mobile corps will kill you!"_

Byakuya took a steadying breath and continued to hold Renji's deadly gaze.

"Grimmjow," he said, risking a glance at the frozen Espada, "please take Nel and go with Ichigo and Rukia."

He nodded to Renji.

"These two are not involved in this conflict. They have done nothing to assist Aizen, and in fact, have acted against him all along. Please allow them to be healed and released."

"If they are not with Aizen, then why are they with you?" Renji asked harshly, "And in any case, why should we believe anything you say?"

"In case you weren't aware, I am being pursued by Aizen. I did work with him for a time, but his goals and mine are different and where we encountered our differences, our association became dangerous. Grimmjow and Nel feared for my safety and they helped me to escape him."

"Is that right?" Renji asked, glaring at the Sexta Espada, then softening slightly as his eyes encountered Nel, "It's not that I refuse to believe what you say, but you understand that they are involved, even if they weren't helping Aizen, so they will have to be questioned."

"Is that really necessary?" asked Ichigo, "You know that Nel helped us when we went to save Orihime from Aizen, Renji. She is trustworthy."

His eyes met Grimmjow's for a moment and the Espada blinked and held his eyes steadily, but said nothing.

"Grimmjow looks pretty beat up," he went on, "and he doesn't appear to want to attack, Renji. Why don't you let us get those two out of here? I'm sure they'll be cooperative if we heal them…right, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow stared at Ichigo, his eyes glinting softly as his chest rose and fell quickly.

"Yeah," he said finally, "If you'll help Nel, we'll be glad to tell you whatever you want to know."

"I…I don't know," Renji said, looking at Nel and biting his lip.

"Well, let me make it easy for you," Byakuya said quietly, "I place these two Espada under the protection of the house Kuchiki, and I charge my sister, Kuchiki Rukia and the substitute shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo to see to that protection. The hollows are to be healed before any questioning and Rukia and Ichigo must be allowed to physically attend any questioning. Even though there are charges against me, as they have yet to be heard out before Central 46 and the clan has not rescinded my leadership, I retain the right to place them under family protection."

Renji continued to frown, but nodded tersely.

"You heard him…Rukia, Ichigo, take Grimmjow and Nel and get them out of harm's way."

"But…" Grimmjow began, swallowing hard as he considered what would probably happen to the quiet, noble shinigami.

"Grimmjow," Byakuya said, meeting his eyes, "You and Nel need healing. I will attempt to deal peacefully with Renji. Do not worry."

"C'mon," Ichigo added, wariness in his eyes, "I think there's no more we can do. Let Renji and Byakuya work this out, okay?"

The Sexta Espada's eyes held Ichigo's and he nodded slowly. Holding Nel close, he turned and walked slowly to Ichigo and allowed the substitute shinigami and Rukia to lead him to the edge of the clearing, where they sat down and Hanatarou came forward to begin their healing. Back in the center of the circle of shinigamis, Renji swallowed nervously, knowing that the squad members were anxious. As time wore on, the chances of one of them acting rashly would rise dramatically. He had to act quickly to take Byakuya into custody before violence erupted and someone got killed. Byakuya looked back at Renji calmly, his dark eyes telling the redhead that he knew exactly where he stood. Renji felt tears in his eyes thinking of Byakuya's betrayal and the price all of them were paying.

_Why, Taichou? Why did you do this? I wish I could believe there was an explanation for all of this, but how can you explain something so horrid?_

"Renji," Byakuya said softly, "Arigatou, for getting Grimmjow and Nel out of danger. They have suffered greatly in opposing Aizen. They deserve to be treated respectfully."

"And what about you, Taichou?" Renji asked in a low, sad voice, "What kind of treatment do you imagine you deserve after what you've done? Give me one good reason I should listen to anything you say…why I shouldn't cut you down myself."

Byakuya heard the tears beneath the words and took a soft breath.

"I am sorry," he said, his eyes regretful, "I know that our squad and especially you have endured a great deal of difficulty since I left the Seireitei."

"You have no idea!" Renji responded, barely concealing a sob, "We've been looked at like WE defected right along with you! The other squads were frustrated because they wanted your hide, but they couldn't catch you, so they tormented us! And we couldn't even defend ourselves! Taichou, you KNOW what Aizen and Gin's betrayal did to their squads. We talked about this so many times! You knew what it would be like and you freed Aizen anyway…and you didn't just free him. Taichou, you literally got into bed with him! You loved Rukia's sister! You mourned her for years. You hated Aizen with a passion. How could you just turn around and have sex with him? Help him? Abandon our squad and the ones you were sworn to protect to join him?"

"I am still protecting you and everyone I promised to," Byakuya said softly, "Renji, I know you don't understand…and you know I cannot explain."

Byakuya paused for a moment as he sensed Aizen watching him from within the nearby trees.

"I will not raise my sword against you, but I will ask you to trust me. If there was ever a time that I needed your loyalty and your friendship, that time is now. You will have your answers soon…and I promise you, you will not be sorry that you believed in me. Think with your heart, Renji. Have I ever betrayed my promises to my family and friends, to my squad and the Gotei 13 before? This is not the first time that seeing to my duty has caused me to act in questionable ways. And that other time, it was you who refused to stop believing in me. Yes, we fought and you demanded answers I couldn't give, but weren't your questions answered in the end? And didn't I prove to be acting to protect, rather than betraying anyone?"

He registered the soft flicker of memory in Renji's eyes, and the very slight shift in his posture that meant his words had reached the redhead. He sighed very softly in relief and reached out with his senses, reading the release of whatever had been blocking the use of kido and zanpakutou before, marking the positions of the secret mobile corps officers as best he could, and registering the placement of the shinigamis around him, he took a breath and as Renji began to answer him, he flash stepped in close. Before anyone could react, he breathed a warning in the redhead's ear.

"I would not have you betray them. I just needed to know you were with me."

Before the stunned fukutaichou could react, he sent a shock of kido through him, dropping him in his tracks.

"Get away!" he warned the others around him, "The secret mobile corps is going to attack!"

Sensing the incoming attack, the squad six shinigamis dove out of the way, leaving Byakuya in the open. Semiconscious and unable to move, Renji clawed the ground and screamed in dismay as kido fire erupted from all directions, enveloping the sixth division taichou.

"TAICHOU!"

Forcing himself onto his hands and knees, Renji crawled towards the place where Byakuya had been standing as the secret mobile corps flash stepped in, waiting for the dust to clear. As it did, Renji gave a sob of despair, watching wide eyed as Byakuya's bloodied form reappeared.

"STOP!" screamed the redhead, "He's going down! Stop!"

Byakuya's body shook violently and he dropped to his knees, blood running in streams down torso and arms. A moment later, he collapsed onto the ground, his lifeless eyes staring. Renji's shocked and tear-filled eyes met Byakuya's and something registered in the redhead's mind. As the secret mobile corps closed in around the noble's fallen form and struck again, Renji's eyes swept the area around them. His breath froze in his chest as he spotted Byakuya being held tightly by Aizen and the two backing slowly towards the dimension wall. Tears streamed down his face at the whiteness of Byakuya's face, at the sadness in his eyes. But it was the momentary touch of gratitude that made him come undone. He collapsed back onto the ground, watching as the secret mobile corps realized they had only killed an illusion of Byakuya, and their eyes looked around for the real one. Renji wanted to scream at Aizen's brashness in leaving Byakuya and himself fully visible, in teasing the gathered shinigamis and then easily blocking their attacks as he held Byakuya possessively against him.

The deadly golden eyes and the shining crystal in his chest sent chills through Renji. He wanted to drag himself onto his feet, to flash step to the bastard and take back his taichou and friend. But, he realized, Byakuya had known exactly where and how hard to hit him to make that impossible. By the time he recovered enough to rise, the two would be in the spirit dimension. He wondered for a long moment if he had been a fool to listen to the noble's words.

But Renji's heart that pounded so hard in his chest had made him listen. Now, all he could do was to accept that Byakuya had acted to protect him by putting him on the ground and getting away from him. He had made sure that the sixth division defenders had time to flash step away before the secret mobile corps attacked.

_And Rukia and Ichigo trust him. Despite everything, I know they do. And although I could write off Rukia's attitude as misplaced loyalty, I trust Ichigo's judgment. Something convinced them that he was telling the truth and when he took me down, something inside me said the same thing. But sweet kami, Taichou! What could be happening that would make you do something like this? It must be awful…and you go into it alone._

Hot tears flooded down his face as his squad members' hands lifted him and carried him to safety. He could still see Aizen holding Byakuya against him, and he could hear the former taichou's softly spoken sarcasm.

"You might as well stand down, unless you want a lot of people to die here. Byakuya knew I would kill you if you interfered, and he valiantly protected you. But it is time for my lover and me to leave you.

_Damn you, Aizen! Damn you for taking him away from us! You don't deserve him. You don't deserve to stand anywhere near him!_

Renji blinked to clear his eyes and gazed at Byakuya standing in the distance, held tightly by Aizen, his eyes looking back at them. They sought out Renji's a last time and a single tear slid down the noble's porcelain cheek.

_Oh no…no, Taichou, please! Don't look at me like that! I see it in your eyes. That look isn't apology, though you are sorry, and it isn't pleading with us anymore. That look is utter devastation…and it means goodbye. It means…you aren't coming back alive._

_Taichou…my Taichou…please don't die._

XXXXXXXXXX

"It is time," said the dark voice that no longer sounded any bit like Aizen's to Byakuya.

He took the noble tightly by the throat as the shinigamis gaped and cried out.

The noble's dark eyes met his calmly as the chokehold made his body shiver and begin to go limp and his eyes began to go hazy and senseless.

"Oh, my Byakuya, you won't get off so easy. Don't think for a minute I'll kill you now and lose my chance to enter the spirit dimension.

He warded off the next wave of kido fire and raised his reiatsu until the rank and file shinigamis fell to their knees, unable to move and gasping for breath and even the officers shifted uncomfortably.

"Stop them!" said Soutaichou's voice as more squads flash stepped into view in front of them, "Kill them before they pass through!"

More kido fire came in and although he destroyed the attacks with relative ease, there was enough heat and threat that Aizen relinquished his death grip on Byakuya's throat and let the captive shinigami draw a dragging breath.

"Tell me how to cross over…and no lies! No tricks. If you play any games, I will kill them all…taking care to make sure that your sister and your fukutaichou are among the first lives I take!"

Byakuya stared dazedly into the dead, golden eyes and wondered if Sousuke even still existed inside. There was certainly no sign to latch onto. Everything about him now seemed lost and deadly. Byakuya shivered and lifted a pale hand, reaching for the pendant at Aizen's throat. Aizen captured his hand in a hard, painful grip and glared at him.

"No tricks, Byakuya."

"No tricks," he managed in a soft, choked voice.

His fingers touched the medallion that Soutaichou had given Byakuya and that the noble had, himself, placed around the traitor's throat.

Aizen smiled somewhat wickedly.

"How clever you were! How crafty, Byakuya! To place the key around my own throat! I have to say, it was a brilliant move. I never would have suspected. But you seem to be very good at that kind of thing."

"I told you," Byakuya said softly to Aizen, "I said it was a sign of my trust."

"And I did not read between the lines. I let you make a fool of me," Aizen said, his lips curling with anger at the thought.

"I made no fool of Aizen Sousuke…only of that damned rock that controls him. Sousuke is still inside you somewhere, and I will connect with him again. You may control him now, but you will not control him for long. Come then, let us go. We have been delayed long enough, and as you said, if we stay here, you will harm the people I wish to protect."

"Very well," Aizen said softly, "Take us in then, Byakuya. I am waiting."

Byakuya sent a small touch of kido through the artifact and the medallion began to glow softly. The shinigamis around them renewed their efforts to kill the two, firing kido spells and crying out angrily.

"Get them! They're going to cross over! Hurry!"

Aizen laughed at their desperation, at the fervor with which they sought the ones who turned and closed in on the dimension wall.

He was surprised at how easily the dimension wall gave way to them, as though it somehow could not register his intent to violently do away with the king who ruled the place. He was somewhat disappointed, as he had delighted in how hard everyone would struggle. But at least, he promised himself, the king would put up some kind of fight. And there was the beast Byakuya had referred to that had caused all of the uproar in the first place.

"Where is this beast that triggered the shutdown of the palace?" asked Aizen, "I do not sense him."

"We must go to the palace temple and we will find the one we are looking for inside," Byakuya explained.

"Wait," said Aizen, locking his hand painfully tightly around the noble's wrist.

His other hand quickly retrieved Tenrai Tezawari from Byakuya's hip. He released the noble and pushed him on ahead, looking around for any signs of another person or creature as they went.

Byakuya walked ahead of the hougyoku controlled Aizen, leading him slowly closer and closer to the palace. Just outside the sturdy wall, he led Aizen into small temple. He paused inside, waiting as their eyes adjusted to the darker inside. Aizen's eyes scanned the interior and then returned to Byakuya.

"I still sense nothing," Aizen said darkly, "What are you about, Byakuya? I told you there were to be no tricks! Where is the beast you spoke of? And how do we open the way to the palace?"

Byakuya's eyes met his quietly in the darkness, then one by one the doors and windows letting in the small amount of light there was, slammed shut and the reiatsu around the two began to rise. A line of candles slowly lit themselves around an altar in the middle of the room.

"What is going on?" Aizen said in a deadly voice, "What are you going to do? You mean to fight me then? You know you cannot win! What then will you gain? What? You are a dead man, Byakuya! You are dead and you know it! Why are you throwing your life away?"

Byakuya stepped back and looked up at Aizen's face.

"I am going to free you, Sousuke. I am going to destroy the hougyoku!"

And before the stunned other could laugh, Byakuya drew his zanpakutou and raised his reiatsu to full power. Then, to his right, Senbonzakura manifested. A moment later Aizen made a sound of surprise as Kyouka Suigetsu appeared to Byakuya's left.

"So…this is how you plan to destroy the hougyoku…with your pitiful shinigami level power, your ridiculous zanpakutou…and my traitorous one? Don't make me laugh, Byakuya! You don't have a chance in the world! I have Tenrai Tezawari!"

He gasped again as the blade he held disappeared and the zanpakutou in Byakuya's hand changed and became Tenrai Tezawari.

"A clever move, my treacherous zanpakutou," Aizen said, nodding, "but it will do no good. I am still more than a match for all three of you! I will kill you all!"


	21. Trail of Blood

**Chapter 21: Trail of Blood**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**We are all wrapped in neatly made, little illusions. Some rest in their own ambitious definitions, while others let the world around them decide how to perceive them. Truth does not exist for any one of us. There are as many definitions of a soul as there are souls. And there is only one being who can see all definitions of a soul at once…and know the truth of it…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"So," said Ichigo, watching as Hanatarou turned away from Nel and moved towards Grimmjow, "What's your story, Grimmjow? Byakuya said that you and Nel were working against Aizen. So…what happened?"

"Hey," the Sexta Espada said sharply, flinching and pulling away from Hanatarou's hands, "I'm fine. Leave it be."

"B-but…"

"C'mon," muttered Ichigo, "Give it a rest, will you? We all know how tough you are. But let the kid heal you. It's not like you won't need the energy. You are in shinigami custody…although if it wasn't for Byakuya, it would be way worse. So, why don't you tell me. What's between Byakuya and you? Were you working with him? Were you working together against Aizen? What?"

Grimmjow didn't miss the fact that the second division taichou had appeared and moved to sit down with them.

"This is Soi fon taichou," Rukia said, nodding to the second division taichou, "She leads the second division and the secret mobile corps."

"The secret mobile corps that just attempted to kill someone who's on their own side?" Grimmjow asked in a gruff, sarcastic tone, "_That_ secret mobile corps? Why should I tell you a fucking thing? You'll probably kill me either way, so I think I'll keep the truth to myself. It can just die with me, ne?"

"You say he is on our side?" Soi fon said, frowning, "but we have proof that he is Aizen Sousuke's lover…that he broke that criminal out of the Central 46 prisons, and that he, himself, returned the man's zanpakutou to his hand. Tell me how we have misunderstood him."

"You haven't misunderstood in any of those things, but you have missed several things," said in a low voice, "Maybe you need to consider those to find your answer."

"Well," said Soi fon, "You seem to think you have more of the answers and are more intelligent than all of us, hollow, so tell us…what have we missed?"

Grimmjow laughed softly.

"Ask yourself this. Why is it that Nel and I, who had never met this man before, instantly knew to protect him? Without question, we knew he was a man of his word, and that although he was made Aizen's, he did not choose it?"

"What?"

"Think about it," Grimmjow continued in a lonely, lost sounding voice, "He had power, responsibility, family, friends and comrades. His efforts in the war helped to ruin the plan to create the King's Key. And his sister was made a pawn in Aizen's plans. Have you asked yourself what would make a guy like that do what he is doing? Why would a guy like that throw away his life, helping the man who nearly got his sister killed? What did Byakuya stand to gain by taking up with Aizen?"

"A place in his new regime?" suggested Soi fon, "I am sure that as Aizen's lover, he would…"

"As Aizen's lover, Byakuya inherited the hardest job you can imagine! He had to leave everything and everyone he loved behind."

His eyes lifted and met Renji's.

"He had to betray people who trusted him. He had to lie down with that bastard and make a child with him."

"T-taichou is…pregnant?" Renji asked, his voice trembling softly and his eyes widening, "Kami, that's why he was fainting! It's why he was so sick all of a sudden! Aizen…made him pregnant? He's really…"

"He _was_ pregnant. I overheard him say that it was supposed to happen…something about it being related to his task. But when that shinigami taichou injured him, he was nearly killed. He lost the child, his powers, his vision…almost lost his life. Aizen made Nel heal what she could, but although he lived, he was still without those things."

"You say it was supposed to happen…this child. Why?"

"As part of his mission. He wouldn't tell us at first what his mission was, but all of us knew that as soon as Aizen unsealed the hougyoku, the madness would begin again. Aizen knew that Byakuya was going after Tenrai Tezawari, a blade that could kill any creature. He said he was going to use it in the spirit dimension to kill a beast that threatened the king. But that was just a cover story he told Aizen to get Aizen to follow him into the spirit dimension."

"He wanted to take Aizen into the spirit dimension?" asked Soi fon, "So he did betray us…"

"No. He didn't betray you. He wanted to take Aizen into the spirit dimension because going to some temple within it would somehow make that blade he carried strong enough."

"Strong enough to do what? What was his mission?" asked Soi fon stridently.

"I don't know everything…the whole of it, but…the reason that Byakuya freed Aizen, sought Tenrai Tezawari and led Aizen to the spirit dimension, was so that he could destroy that damned hougyoku!"

Renji took a strangled breath and looked in the direction Byakuya and Aizen had gone. His memory replayed those last moments, the tenderness in the noble's hands, even as he cleared his own squad from Aizen's path…as he took his fukutaichou down to save his life…then, how that one tear had slid down his face as he said goodbye to everyone and everything he knew.

_And he wasn't planning on coming back. That's how difficult he knew it would be. And why he went alone. He didn't want the rest of us to be hurt. So he protected us…and he went on alone to do this…to destroy that nightmare Aizen created._

"Taichou…" Renji whispered.

"Nii-sama…" Rukia breathed.

Soi fon frowned and glared at Grimmjow.

"You have told an impressive story, but you still have not told us why taking Aizen Sousuke into the spirit dimension wasn't a betrayal. In fact, even having destroyed the hougyoku, he will still have taken our enemy to the doorstep of the king. So, knowing that, how do you still say he is no traitor?"

Grimmjow sighed resignedly.

"That part, I don't know. He had to keep quiet. Because anything Aizen learned, the hougyoku knew. And to have the best chance to defeat the hougyoku, he had to keep it from learning that it was his target. Even so, once it was unsealed, the hougyoku learned of it. So after the two obtained Tenrai Tezawari, we helped him escape Aizen and that's when he told us what he was going to do. Thing is…if you were wrong about Byakuya, couldn't you also be wrong about Aizen too?"

"Huh," huffed Soi fon, "He betrayed us before the hougyoku was implanted in him. That means he was a traitor before."

"So…who says that the hougyoku didn't convince him to be a traitor? That it didn't overwhelm his mind before he ever fused with it and that it wasn't manipulating him all along?"

"So you think that when it's gone, he will suddenly come to his senses? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Soi fon said dismissively.

"Yeah…" said Grimmjow, "Well you weren't with Byakuya through this. Nel and I were. We saw how he suffered, and how alone and afraid he felt through everything, how he struggled, and how devastated he was when his child was lost. We saw how it made him sick inside to think about what he had to do, but how he did it all anyway. And you saw, just now, how he protected his own from getting hurt…how he protected Nel and me from being mistreated. That guy is no traitor…and he wouldn't follow one. And if you still think he is, then you are fucked in the head."

Grimmjow caught his breath softly as he realized that hot tears had risen in his eyes. He swept them away with the back of a hand and fell silent, biting at his lips nervously as the shinigamis studied him closely. Soi fon rose and stared down at him for a moment.

"We will inform Kuchiki Rukia if we have anymore questions," she said quietly, then she flash stepped away.

Ichigo looked up at Renji and Rukia, who were standing with their arms around each other and their faces buried in each others' shoulders. He looked back at Grimmjow and laid a hand on the Sexta Espada's shoulder.

"Thanks, Grimmjow," he said softly.

"For what?" the hollow asked irascibly, "I just told you what happened."

"No," he said quietly, "You did a lot more than that."

XXXXXXXXXX

The palace temple went silent for a moment as the combatants gazed at each others' candlelit faces in the darkness. Byakuya breathed in the scents of incense and ash, letting the ancient soul of the temple strengthen his. And where he had shivered before at the closeness of death, that old spirit soothed his younger one into calm acceptance of what must be, of what sacrifices must be made for the sake of truth.

And he knew he could no longer hold it inside him. The words would burn his lips as he said them, but they would set his king free. There was strength in truth and now Sousuke needed the truth that had been unspoken, untouched, unknown since that time, long before…when Diablo fell to the former king.

"You have a name," Byakuya said softly, "and I have discovered that name…Diablo."

Aizen stared at him questioningly and Byakuya could have smiled at the sudden sense of dislocation between the hougyoku and the brown-eyed shinigami.

"What are you talking about, descendant of Hajime? Are you referring to those ancient tales you were reading back at your manor? They were made by drunken fools and have been told so many times that they have been stripped of all truth. You know nothing of your own history but the lies they fed you!"

"If it is not truth," said Byakuya calmly, "then it holds no power. And if it held no power, you would not fear it."

The noble barely moved in time to avoid the sudden blast of kido that erupted from Aizen's hands.

"Insolent one! I fear nothing! There is nothing you can do, no words you can say that can help you to free him from me! He gave himself to me willingly. He sought me…created me and took me willingly into his body."

"No…he never even knew you," Byakuya said, holding his weapon up and dodging another blast of kido, "You let him believe he created you. But I will tell him the truth. I will tell him who you are…and who he is…and why you sought him."

"What are you talking about?"

Byakuya froze.

"Sousuke?" he said softly, noting the flash of brown eyes, then flash stepping wildly and countering as the shinigami's eyes went golden again and the hougyoku attacked.

The two bodies circled each other, slashed and blocked at blinding speed as Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu began an incantation.

_Ancient sage, vessel of truths long forgotten, bound by the serpent's sliding path along the earth and the lies spread by his tongue…by the will of the king's scion, rise from the ashes left behind them. Let the light of truth fall over this place and open the way for the king!_

Aizen and Byakuya slid to a stop across from each other and the noble could see fury twisting the features of the man standing before him.

"You won't get away with this, damned king's whore! I will kill you before you can move from that spot!"

Fire flared suddenly around Byakuya and with a gasp, he disappeared into it. He reappeared a moment later, flash stepping in from behind Aizen and landing a wicked slash across the other man's chest. Aizen looked down at his bleeding chest.

"Really, Byakuya," he said mockingly, "Did you think _that_ pitiful attack would finish me? You are naïve, aren't you?"

Byakuya stared as the wound began to heal itself.

"Remember?" Diablo said solemnly, "I can heal instantly, any wound you can make. Even Tenrai Tezawari cannot kill me. But feel free to try!"

"Now," Byakuya said softly to Senbonzakura.

"Yes, Master," the zanpakutou said, nodding, "Ban kai…senkei Senbonzakura kageyoshi!"

"And you as well," the noble continued, his dark eyes finding Kyouka Suigetsu's.

He nearly laughed at the look of surprise that Aizen and the hougyoku stared at what issued from the pale, green-eyed zanpakutou's lips.

"Ban kai…"

"What?" hissed the hougyoku, "Aizen Sousuke never achieved ban kai! It was a lie that he used his zanpakutou's illusions to conceal!"

"Yes," Kyouka Suigetsu, "Aizen Sousuke showed all of the taichous and fukutaichous a contrived waster-based shikai and ban kai, but he never sought to achieve ban kai because in the early years he felt he did not need it…and then, he sold his soul to the hougyoku and so, never bothered with it. But even so…_I_ have use of ban kai. Would you like to see it?"

Aizen smirked.

"Not that either of us believe that it will prove powerful enough to affect this battle, but out of an odd curiosity, we will allow you to release it."

"Very well," Kyouka Suigetsu breathed softly, "Ban kai…manako no jouten, Kyouka Suigetsu."

Within the fighting chamber that Senbonzakura created, a soft, eerie mist began to rise. Aizen held still, spellbound by his zanpakutou as the hougyoku made him wear a skeptical smile.

"Manako no jouten," the zanpakutou explained, "Eye of the Creator. Where my shikai controls the senses to create illusion, my ban kai sweeps away all falsity to let the truth be seen."

The mist swirled around Kyouka Suigetsu, obscuring his body for a moment before fading and leaving him revealed. In the place of the thin, green-eyed man stood a similar, but much more regal looking man, his body adorned in royal robes and carrying a scepter instead of a sword.

"What is this?" hissed the hougyoku, "What are you doing?"

"This is my true form," explained the zanpakutou, "Used in battle, it creates an advantage by fully revealing the soul of the enemy. My scepter needs only to touch you…and the Lord's Eye will fix on you…revealing everything you are…including the weaknesses that will allow me to conquer you! And as you are revealed, so will my master be revealed. Are you curious, Diablo? Or do you look at me and suspect already?"

"Damn you!" screamed the hougyoku, charging and slashing at Kyouka Suigetsu.

His sword passed through the man, who disappeared and reappeared several feet away.

"And in this form, I can still use my illusions to escape your attacks. So seek me, if you will, but hurry. The truth is about to be told!"

The zanpakutou disappeared again and the hougyoku forced Aizen's body into motion slashing blindly and viciously. Byakuya and Senbonzakura flash stepped away as Aizen seemed to go mad, slashing at everything that moved and filling the room with flares of fire. A binding kido captured his sword arm, and a wicked-fast flash step sounded. Aizen struck out and encountered a body that convulsed around his blade and froze. Kyouka Suigetsu reappeared, impaled on his own master's blade…and smiling. Aizen looked down and found that the shaking hand of the wounded zanpakutou still held the scepter…and the scepter was lightly touching his thigh.

"It will be all right, Master," Kyouka Suigetsu whispered, blood leaking from between his pale lips "Even though I am broken, the truth will still be seen."

His palm touched Aizen's face and for a moment the deep, gentle brown eyes returned.

"Kyouka Suigetsu…" he said softly.

The zanpakutou slid slowly to the ground and disappeared. In his place, a broken sword appeared.

"Huh," huffed the Diablo, regaining control, "So where is this truth?"

He caught his breath sharply, staring in surprise as the room began to rumble heavily with rising power. The shaking around them increased until the two shinigamis and the remaining zanpakutou were forced to their knees. And before them, a white-lit body was forming, a man whose face was gently obscured, whose voice demanded their attention, and whose very presence made the Diablo shriek with memory.

"YOU!" he screamed, "It cannot be you! I will kill you!"

Aizen's controlled body flash stepped forward and he slashed at the man. To his surprise, the weapon passed through him, leaving no damage.

"What?" snapped Diablo, "How?"

"It is his majesty, Yoshiaki," Byakuya said in a reverent tone, "He is our former king."

"F-former?" repeated the hougyoku, "Then he is…?"

"His majesty, King Yoshiaki, died the day I released Aizen Sousuke from the Central 46 prisons," Byakuya announced, "And that means that his son is to be crowned king upon his return to the palace. But before he can return, the lies surrounding him must fall away and he must be fully revealed. That is what Kyouka Suigetsu's power will do. It has brought the old king, himself to tell the story…but…you already know the truth…don't you, Diablo? It is Sousuke for whom the king speaks, for know this now…Aizen Sousuke is Yoshiaki's only child."


	22. Truth Be Told

**Chapter 22: Truth be Told**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Anchored in your arms, eyes on eyes, we lie in the fragrant garden under a full, white moon. Fed with lazy fingertips and searching lips, we enjoy the pleasures of heart and flesh. It is here that our worlds begin and end, and it is here we will return to, when we wish to find each other again…if…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_"YOU!" he screamed, "It cannot be you! I will kill you!"_

_Aizen's controlled body flash stepped forward and he slashed at the man. To his surprise, the weapon passed through him, leaving_ no damage.

_"What?" snapped Diablo, "How?"_

_"It is his majesty, Yoshiaki," Byakuya said in a reverent tone, "He is our former king."_

_"F-former?" repeated the hougyoku, "Then he is…?"_

_"His majesty, King Yoshiaki, died the day I released Aizen Sousuke from the Central 46 prisons," Byakuya announced, "And that means that his son is to be crowned king upon his return to the palace. But before he can return, the lies surrounding him must fall away and he must be fully revealed. That is what Kyouka Suigetsu's power will do. It has brought the old king, himself to tell the story…but…you already know the truth…don't you, Diablo? It is Sousuke for whom the king speaks, for know this now…Aizen Sousuke is Yoshiaki's firstborn child."_

Aizen's body froze, his eyes flickering golden, then brown, then back again as the shinigami struggled to gain control. Yoshiaki's shade gazed sadly at his tormented son for a moment, then reached out a hand, trying in vain to touch him.

"It is heartbreaking not to be able to be with you in person," the former king said softly to his spellbound son, "but it is my hope that I will be able to explain to you why we were parted…and why I could not seek you until now. I trust that Kuchiki Byakuya has seen to the tasks to which I set him, with the exception of this last. I know your mind must be spinning with questions. I will give you the answers you need, and then you and Byakuya will find your fate together, even as his ancestor, Hajime and I did so many hundreds of years ago. But let me start at the beginning."

The king closed his eyes for a moment and the scene around them faded, and was replaced with dark space and a sea of stars.

"I do not know where I came from or how I came to be in this place. I first became aware and found myself among the stars. My mind was liquid and my body fire. I burned with intensity, floating out there alone among the stars. But I was missing something. I was alone. And in my loneliness, I created…I created our worlds, first my own physical body and the spirit dimension, in which to house myself, and then a world of living things and another world to provide guardians to watch over the world of the living. With time, I realized that although my creations were great, I still felt loneliness. And it was that loneliness that made me create the first of the great noble houses. Lovely creatures, they were…beautiful, noble, powerful…and all devoted to serving me and helping me to manage the worlds I had created. The greatest of these powerful noble lords was Kuchiki Hajime.

Like all of the new noble lords, Hajime was created by my own hands in the King's Garden. Fashioned from sakura limbs and petals, his blood made from the water of life that flows in the healing fountain, his black hair from the tail of a spirit steed and blue eyes made from stardust and fire, he was lovely and strong. But the most beautiful thing about Hajime was his devoted heart. Like the other noble lords, Hajime was devoted to duty and service, but Hajime loved his lord with his whole heart and looked at me differently than others. And it was in this proud man's presence that I finally lost my feelings of loneliness. It was Hajime with whom I first came to experience love…and surrounded by that love, we ruled the three worlds together.

Now, among the lords I had created was a powerful man named Diablo. Like Hajime, he was lovely, but in an entirely different way. Fashioned from red lava and cinders, amber and obsidian, Diablo too was strong and he did serve me well…at first. But when he saw the place that Hajime had at my side, he felt the first envy experienced in my worlds. And that envy grew over the centuries that passed, and when he learned that Hajime carried my child, his envy became deadly.

Sensing that all was not well with Diablo, Hajime suggested that I make a world for him to rule. It was then that I gave him dominion over the souls of the three worlds who died in torment, those whose strong emotions made it impossible for them to move on into Soul Society. Diablo was pleased to have leadership of the world of the hollows, and although it was a sad place, it was a place where he could use his great powers to lead the hollows. Yet even as happy as he was with his new place in my regime, still he hated Hajime with what was becoming a deadly rage.

In the darkest corner of Hueco Mundo, Diablo made his plans to kill my Hajime and the child he carried. But I sensed his treachery, and to protect my lover and child, I created Tenrai Tezawari, the divine blade. Diablo one day trapped Hajime in the palace temple and deprived him and in a terrible battle, deprived him of the blade I fashioned to protect him. Diablo laid Hajime on the Altar of Passage. Then, he prepared to take my lover's life. But see for yourself what happened that day."

The mist rose around them, until the pink swords of Senbonzakura's senkei disappeared. As the room cleared, the ones within could see the events as they had transpired so many years before…

_Hajime laid bound upon the Altar of Passage, watching as the red and black body of Diablo rose up over him and the obsidian and amber eyes fixed on him. His lips curled back into a cruel smile and his hand tightened around the blade he would use to kill the king's lover._

"_Diablo," Hajime said softly, his voice echoing in the cold, dark chamber, "I sense the anger within you and I understand it. Know that his lordship is aware of what you feel…and he will know you have done this. Think about what you are doing. For know that when you kill, you do not just take life from another, but you take life from all who are connected to that person. If you kill me and the child I carry, you will not just harm me, but all who love me, most greatly our own lord and creator. So think before you go so far. Is this the path you really desire to take?"_

_Diablo smiled wickedly and raised Tenrai Tezawari over the noble._

"_You are right about the killing hurting more than just the one whose life is taken," he agreed, "but you, like our lord, do not understand why I will kill you…and him. King Yoshiaki gave me dominion over Hueco Mundo. And when you die in torment, you will both go there and become subjugated under me! I will be lord over all things then! And that is why I am doing this. There is nothing you can say that will save you now, Hajime. Your fate is sealed."_

_He began to bring his weapon down, but froze as the king appeared and placed himself between them. His hands freed the noble, while his eyes remained fastened on Diablo._

"_Stand back, Hajime."_

"_Yes, my lord."_

_The king's eyes met Diablo's and observed the glittering hatred in them. He sighed sadly, seeing the power and beauty he had created, that had gone so wrong._

"_I know your heart," he said quietly, "I know what has caused your rage, Diablo. Loneliness…longing for connection…solitude. These are painful things. I hoped that, by making you Hueco Mundo's lord that you would come to understand these things, but it seems that you do not. This is not the way to make that pain leave you. Know then that Hajime and I sensed your treachery and we are prepared to defend ourselves here. Stop, Diablo, before you do something that cannot be taken back."_

The mist around Aizen, Byakuya, Senbonzakura and the shade of the king faded and Yoshiaki met their eyes in the darkness.

"Although I tried to convince Diablo to stop, he attacked, and in the course of the battle, though injured, he managed to strike a fatal blow with the blade created to protect my Hajime and me. Hajime watched in horror as I fell and my power was absorbed into Diablo's body. I still existed, but was trapped within the evil one and unable to use my powers to stop him. Diablo again threatened Hajime with the blade. My lover fought valiantly, but in the end was forced down onto the Altar of Passage. Diablo raised Tenrai Tezawari over Hajime and brought it down.

As the blade fell, Hajime remembered the king's words to him."

"_Diablo's rage is a powerful form of hatred and has grown so strong that it will take a powerful weapon to stop him. If I am killed, then, there is a way yet to revive me and to give me your strength in addition to my own. Let this blade pass into your body and give the command, Kyuujo. I will be reborn and our life forces joined so that we may vanquish our foe and all will not be lost. It is a desperate thing we do, but it is what we must do if we want to stop him."_

_Hajime looked into Diablo's wicked eyes as Tenrai Tezawari came down, wrapped his hands around the ones that held the blade and gave the release command._

"_Kyuujo…Tenrai Tezawari!"_

_Diablo was frozen in place, his hands unable to release the blade that was lodged in Hajime's heart. Tendrils of golden light rose out of the noble and hovered in the air over him. As the two watched, the light curled and swelled, forming a golden chamber. And within the chamber, the body of a man formed. As Hajime's life force bled out and into the golden chamber, the chamber exploded and the king was reborn._

_Diablo watched in awe as the chamber shattered and Yoshiaki returned. The king glared at him and held his sword ready._

"_Treacherous one," he said in a low voice, "You have gone too far. To have slain the king and his beloved are unforgivable offenses, so Hajime and I have joined our power to defeat you."_

_Diablo attacked, but as he moved, the king's blade slashed at him and killed him in a single swing. The dark lord fell then at the king's feet and his body disintegrated. All that was left of Diablo were his amber and obsidian eyes. As the king watched, the eyes began to glow a wicked red and Diablo's voice sounded._

"_You may have killed me, but in dying I have laid a curse upon your heir. His soul has disappeared into the cycle of birth and rebirth. And when he lives again, he will revive me. He will inherit my hatred for you and will come for you. I will use him to cut you down and then take your place here in the spirit dimension."_

_The king watched as the glowing eyes disappeared, then turned and looked down at the lifeless body of Hajime. He gathered his dead lover into his arms and carried him back into the palace._

"I was able to restore Hajime to life," the king's shade said softly, "but Diablo's curse had sent the soul of our child into the cycle of birth and rebirth. We knew that our child would be born again, but not how or where. And we knew also that Diablo would return. We bore other children, and they were among those who peopled the noble homes of the Seireitei. The noble lords of all of the houses watched and awaited the birth of our heir, but for hundreds of years, nothing happened. I did not realize that your return to the spirit dimension would not happen until both Hajime and I had passed into death. You see, when the king and consort die, their reiatsu is captured in a prism kept within the Altar of Passage. The opening of the Altar and the acceptance of the reiatsu in the prism is the only way to ascend to kingship. But before you can become king, you must overcome the one who cursed you. You must kill Diablo."

The shade sighed.

"Diablo's curse sent you into the cycle of birth and rebirth…and the eyes of Diablo went with you. He watched and waited for you to be born. He knew you would be difficult to find, so he sought the strongest souls he could find and inspired two men to create a device called the hougyoku. The hougyoku was not, as you thought, a device to make men's desires come true. That was a lie. The hougyoku is a vessel made to enable the return of Diablo and to trigger the battle for kingship. Diablo led you to believe that his power would make you king, but you are already my son, and in line for the throne. Diablo only used you to bring himself back and to try to steal the crown from you. Once I realized who you were, and knew how Diablo controlled you, I sought a soul from among the Kuchiki descendants, one who would be strong enough to reclaim the power of Tenrai Tezawari and to free you of the hougyoku. The sealing charm he used to bind you is the same as that which was used to bind my soul to Hajime's, and so bound, Kuchiki Byakuya is the true heir to the power of the divine blade. You must place your faith in him to destroy the hougyoku that has fused with your body. You must not lose this battle, my son. You must overcome the will of the hougyoku and allow Byakuya to use Tenrai Tezawari to destroy Diablo's power. As your own child has been lost, there is no reiatsu to allow a rebirth, so you must not allow Diablo to make you kill Byakuya."

The shade turned and fixed his eyes on Byakuya.

"Strike true, descendant of Hajime. You must pierce the stone squarely to destroy it. You must not kill the heir's body."

The shade's eyes returned to Aizen.

"When you have killed Diablo, the Altar of Passage will open and the divine reiatsu will fill you. Then, the way to the palace will open and you will be crowned king. My blessing to both of you."

The shade shimmered and slowly faded, leaving Byakuya and Aizen gazing at each other under the soft light of the pink swords.

Aizen's eyes glittered, somewhere between golden and brown, making the noble wary as his hand tightened around the divine blade and his body tensed in preparation to strike.

"Lie down on the Altar of Passage," he said quietly, "I will destroy the hougyoku and end its dominance over you. Sousuke, you must trust me."

There was a long silence, then Aizen's mouth opened and Diablo's laughter echoed in the cold darkness of the fighting chamber.

"Fool!" he exclaimed, "Did you actually think I would make this so easy for you? That I would wait hundreds of years to be reborn, just to be undone by a simple shinigami? Think again! I control him! He gave himself over to me in exchange for my power, power he thought he would use to become king. Now, I will be king…and because I succeeded in preventing you from creating your own heir, there is no reiatsu to invoke the power of that blade you carry if I should kill you. You are a dead man, Byakuya. I think you came here already knowing I would kill you! Give up now. Give up and I will let you leave this temple alive. I will allow your noble house to continue its association with the royal family. Oppose me and not only will I kill you, I will revoke your family's noble status and have you all ejected from the Seireitei. I will make hollows of all of you and you will roam the dead sands of Hueco Mundo endlessly. Is that what you want?"

Byakuya frowned and remained tensed and ready.

"What I want," he said softly, "is to see my king freed. I will destroy you, Diablo…and I will free him!"

"So," said Diablo, "You choose dishonor and death. Very well, then. I shall be more than pleased to kill you!"

Byakuya flash stepped away as Aizen appeared suddenly in front of him and slashed at him. He blocked a barrage of strikes, and then shot forward, aiming for the hougyoku. At the last moment, Aizan's body shifted and Byakuya's blade slashed his shoulder. Diablo laughed.

"Weren't you supposed to avoid killing the heir's body, Byakuya?" he asked sarcastically, "You must be more careful or you will only kill both your lover and me!"

"Bastard!" hissed the noble, circling and searching for another opening.

Of to the side, Senbonzakura flash stepped in and grabbed Aizen from behind.

"Now, Master!" the zanpakutou cried.

"Not so fast!" Diablo roared.

"Sen, get back!" cried Byakuya.

Power erupted from Aizen's body and struck the zanpakutou spirit, throwing him back. Aizen's body followed and his sword slashed down, cutting through Senbonzakura and leaving only a broken sword where he had been.

"You had better hope that Tenrai Tezawari is enough to conquer me with," Diablo warned him, "Your own zanpakutou is too damaged to use in battle now!"

"It will be enough," Byakuya said, standing ready.

He gazed deeply into Aizen's eyes as they circled each other again.

"Sousuke, you must fight him," the noble said softly, "You must hold him still so that I can strike the stone squarely. I do not want to hit you. Fight him, Sousuke. You know who he is now. You know yourself…and you know me. Trust me. Let me help you."

Across from Byakuya, Aizen's eyes shifted fitfully between golden and brown. Byakuya moved closer, and as soon as he saw the brown clearly, he struck again. Surprise flooded his mind as Diablo laughed and flash stepped and landed a blow. The noble slid to a stop, his chest heaving and blood coursing down his body.

"You see," he said, raising his reiatsu until the temple shook with his power and Byakuya felt the heavy feeling of being slowly suffocated, "I am stronger than you. And I am stronger than him. You are both going to die here and I will be king!"

"How can you kill him?" Byakuya asked, circling and flash stepping as Diablo struck at him, "You need him because you have no physical body. That is why you fused with him, ne?"

Diablo's lips curled into a wicked smile. He flash stepped and raised his reiatsu until the walls around them began to crumble and Byakuya could no longer move. He walked slowly to the noble's frozen body and took Tenrai Tezawari from his frozen hand.

"You see," he said, touching Byakuya's face, "You are nothing compared to me. You cannot stop me, and now you are going to die."

He took Byakuya by the throat and threw him onto the altar. Binding ropes snaked their way around his wrists and ankles and held him tightly in place. Diablo stared down into the shocked gray eyes and laid a hand on his breast over his heart.

"But," he went on, "I will do you a favor as I take your life, Byakuya. I will give you back this man you love. I will cast his soul out of my body and place him inside yours, so that the two of you can be together as you die!"

Byakuya held his breath as the hand pressed to his chest glowed with an odd, red light and suddenly, he felt Aizen's soul enter him.

"Sousuke…"

"Yes, you feel his presence inside you, ne? I have cast him out of his own body and now I will end your two lives with one blow and become king. You have failed…and all of your descendants will live to walk the dead sands of Hueco Mundo and curse you for your weakness. Die, Kuchiki Byakuya!"

The noble stared in dismay as the weapon began to fall.

_Byakuya, my love,_ whispered Aizen's voice inside his frozen mind, _Trust me, now, we are not lost. Byakuya, when the blow lands, give the release command…_

Byakuya felt a shock of rending pain as the weapon found its mark, and with the last of his strength and breath, he forced the words out.

"Kyuujo, T-tenrai Tezawari!"


	23. Lost

**Chapter 23: Lost**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**We stand now on two sides of a mirror, looking for each other, but finding only our own reflections. My breath no longer fogs the glass and my fingers do not feel the fine surface. My heart lies in dreaded silence and my eyes see only darkness. Your hand reaches through the glass and your fingertips seek me in the blackness. And although my soul can still feel you there, I cannot touch you…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"You hanging in there?" Renji asked a silent and empty-eyed Rukia, who sat, leaned against him and staring in the direction that her brother had gone.

He touched her hair lightly, longing to think of something rude and funny to say, to pull her out of her thoughts as he had done so often during their youth in Inuzuri.

"He's fighting…" Rukia said in a soft, distant voice, "I can feel his reiatsu, Aizen's, and one that feels familiar, but it makes me feel cold inside."

"I was thinking the same thing," Ichigo added, looking over from where he sat next to Grimmjow, holding a conscious, but quiet toddler Nel on his lap, "I know I've felt that power, but I can't quite place where."

"It's the hougyoku," Grimmjow said, staring at the place where Byakuya and Aizen had crossed over. They are fighting it."

Renji's fingers strayed down Zabimaru's hilt, tightened for a moment, then released.

"I hate this," he muttered, "I always hated it when he'd leave me behind and fight alone. I used to think he did it out of arrogance. This really puts a new spin in things."

"He's not what any of us expected, ne?" said Grimmjow, "The first time I saw him, he was blind and powerless, seemed like he didn't have a chance in hell against Aizen and that damned hougyoku. Nel and I did what we could to get him away, to protect him, but as soon as he had his powers back, he ran right back into danger. Damned fool. Wonder if he regrets it…"

"Protected him, ne?" said Ichigo, curling a hand around Nel, "Why doesn't that sound like the Grimmjow I remember?"

The Sexta Espada huffed a soft, sarcastic laugh.

"The Grimmjow you remember, eh? What? The one who followed impossible desires? Who let himself be seduced by the hougyoku's promises of completion and happiness? Aizen always talked of how it existed to make dreams come true, to let desires be fulfilled, but it didn't work out for the Espadas…and from what I sense, I don't think that rock is proving out to be giving him his 'dreams come true' either."

"It only ever made Byakuya-san have nightmares," Nel added softly, "It was strange. When the dreams were too bad, Nel took them away, and when Nel takes away dreams, she sometimes sees what is in them. Byakuya-sans dreams were dark and scary, but there was always hope in them too. And even though the hougyoku hurt Byakuya-san, he wouldn't leave Aizen-sama. Byakuya-san loves Aizen-sama."

Rukia's head turned and her saddened eyes met the little Espada's.

"It's hard to think of that man and not hate him. I don't understand how my brother could ever love a man like that," she said quietly, "Nii-sama is a loyal and honorable person. Him loving a backstabbing traitor? I just don't see it."

Nel's wide eyes locked on Rukia's and she crawled out of Ichigo's lap and onto the despondent young woman's.

"Nel thinks that when Byakuya-san looks at Aizen-sama, he doesn't see the person we all see."

"You mean, he doesn't see 'the real Aizen?'" asked Ichigo.

"No," said Nel softly, "_We_ don't."

They broke off the conversation as an icy wind swept out of the spirit dimension, crossing over to where they waited and cutting through them. They could sense the reiatsu on the other side of the dimension wall, still raging until small tendrils of it leaked through.

All at once, a sharp, biting pulse shot through them, and each of the souls in the three worlds that had ever crossed Kuchiki Byakuya's path felt the last cool swell of that heavy reiatsu. The wind swept through the trees and brought a soft rain of sakura down on them. And each one lifted stunned fingertips to touch the place over his or her shocked heart as that powerful reiatsu throbbed painfully, then began to fade away.

"Oh," Rukia expelled in a soft sob, "Oh…no."

Renji's brown eyes didn't dare meet hers as they filled with tears. Nel descended into silent tears and near her, Grimmjow let out a long breath and lowered his head. Ichigo's lips tightened and he gave them a soft, determined glare.

"Why are you all looking like that?" he asked, his voice trembling softly, "This is Kuchiki Byakuya we're talking about. Even if he dies, he's going to find a way to win. I know it. Come on, think of how many times I died trying to save Orihime. When a soul wants something that badly? A soul like his? He won't give up."

"Ichigo," Rukia said softly, "When you were trying to save Orihime, you had friends looking out for you."

She turned her eyes back to the dimension wall.

"Who is watching out for my brother?"

Nel's small hand found Rukia's and gripped it tightly.

"Don't you feel it?" she said staring, "Aizen-sama's reiatsu is growing much stronger now…stronger than the hougyoku's, I think. Aizen-sama will protect Byakuya-san. Even though the hougyoku hates Byakuya-san and doesn't approve, Aizen-sama loves Byakuya-san. He will find a way to save him."

"She's right," said Ichigo, shaking his head resolutely, "It's going to be okay."

Grimmjow's eyes lifted to meet Ichigo's for a moment, and when he took them away again, he could almost feel a soft pulse of life beneath his empty breast.

"But," Ichigo went on, "He still may need more than Aizen can give him."

He turned to look at Soutaichou, who stood nearby, gazing steadily in the direction of the dimension wall.

"Old man," he said quietly, "You need to let us in there. Don't mess with me telling me you don't know how. We all felt what just happened. I think we have the right to go and find out what happened to him."

The others looked up at Ichigo in dismay at the request. But nothing could have prepared them for Soutaichou's calm response.

"Very well, I will open the gate for you."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt the cold invasion of icy steel into his heart and was briefly reminded of the time he had taken the full force of Gin's attack into that same place while protecting his sister. And so it was that he again accepted the wrath of a blade, penetrating him with resolve to kill.

And this time, he knew it would succeed. And although his heart knew it was well worth the sacrifice, he wouldn't have been any part human if fear hadn't gripped him for a moment as uncertainty passed over him. That stunned, heart rending pondering, asking, 'Am I all right,' and knowing the shattering answer.

He would never be all right again.

But even as the certainty of impending death swept over him, something inside him gave him the strength to accept what was happening, to trust in his fate, to let go and have faith that his sacrifice would protect what he held most dear. And that calm assurance stayed with him as lifeblood and reiatsu pulsed out of him, as it left his ruined heart and filled the blade that had claimed him. And as his fading eyes opened again, he was able to retain his senses long enough to see the golden tendrils grow from his dying body and create the King's Chamber. He remained there long enough that the figure inside fully formed and shattered the vessel, then a figure surrounded in blinding white leaned over him and kissed his blood-drenched lips.

His senses faded then, into a sea of silent gray, and as he waited in breathless, silent stillness, his mind continued to spin, to turn, and to wrap itself around the fact of his dying. He entered a deep reflective state and scenes from his life played out before him, reminding him of what he had yielded himself.

_His eyes opened and took in the fuzzy image of a pale and dying dark-haired, gray-eyed woman, who kissed his forehead gently and whispered his name with her last breath. The scene shifted to a cool spring night, the feel of warm arms cradling him and his father's voice singing very softly as he drifted off to sleep. There was a flash memory of him running too fast and falling…kind hands lifting him and brushing the dust away. Then he heard the stern voices of the Kuchiki elders telling him to be proud and to act with dignity…and he couldn't run fast enough to escape them. He flash stepped through a grove of trees, sensing Yoruichi just ahead of him and feeling that burning rage at not being fast enough. He slid to a stop and joined her where she rested with her back against a sakura tree, and there, she lulled him gently into sleep and left him there._

_He felt again the hard stab of fear as his grandfather met his eyes solemnly and told him his father was gone. Then his flash steps again weren't fast enough and he couldn't outrun the rain of tears onto what should have been a proud face, but was only the face of a child left alone in a suddenly cold and lonely place._

"_Are you all right?" asked a gentle, male voice._

"_A-aizen taichou?" he said softly, "Gomen nasai…I…"_

"_Why are you apologizing? I heard about what happened to your father, Byakuya-kun. Surely, you should be with your family so that they could comfort you."_

"_C-comfort me?" he repeated at hearing the unexpected words, "I am a Kuchiki…and we…"_

_Something in the quiet, brown eyes that looked into his shattered his resolve and he collapsed against the man's kneeling form and for once indulged in just being held…in letting everything go…in crying until he had no tears left._

"_There is no dishonor in crying for what is lost, Byakuya-kun," said Aizen, "no matter what they tell you. There is no weakness in tears. They are actually a sign of the soul gathering its strength. Do not think poorly of yourself for this. Sleep now, and let time provide healing."_

_He slept quietly then as the man lifted him and carried him safely back home._

_When he gained awareness again time had passed, and he was watching quietly as his grandfather walked through the royal senkaimon and left him standing alone again, bearing the new weight of the kenseiken, of leadership of clan and squad. He had more than enough power and having finally shed his youthful heedlessness, he was the image of the aristocracy, cool, distant, graceful, elegant. There was nothing awkward or untoward in his body or in his blade. Only his heart still betrayed him from time to time. Strangely, those were the times in his life when he felt most alive. His mind skipped over the unimportant things…long, boring meetings, the calm dissemination of duties, the things that filled times between moments of breathless loveliness. Like staring up at a full, white moon, feeling its energy vibrate softly beneath his skin, riling his mind. Like seeing Hisana for the very first time, a single flower nearly choked by the weeds around her. He plucked her away from danger, but only to watch her slowly fade away. And when she died, he wondered if it would always be this way…if the people he allowed inside would always abandon him…their fault or not, it caused the same pain._

_He was more careful when Rukia came into his life. He kept her always at a distance, though he protected her carefully until…_

_Until he…that same man who had been so comforting to him in the wake of the loss of his father, the one who had carefully trained his hand to perfect his calligraphy, the man who had helped him settle into captaincy and had from time to time smiled at him and caused a flustered warmth to rise on his cheeks, that man disappeared like all the others who mattered to him, and stood by, ready to calmly dispatch Rukia and him when Gin's blade failed._

_Aizen's betrayal stung with a ferocity he wasn't expecting. He held himself still and resolved to kill the man if they ever met again, but some part of him mourned the kind, gentle taichou he had known._

_And it was this that stayed his own hand from killing him when the King's Summons came through the hand of his grandfather and set him on the path to becoming Aizen Sousuke's soul bonded, his lover and perhaps he would have been royal consort if not for the need to act as The King's Sacrifice. In fact, in the beginning, it had been somewhat of a comfort to know that dying would shed him of his responsibilities to the vile, manipulative being that Aizen had become. He had never expected that the man's raging passion, overwhelming desire and maddening game playing would be anything but a torment. And Aizen had used him, of course. But even as the man assaulted his body, while infuriated, his own passion was stoked, his heart beat more forcefully and he felt clenching bouts of emotion he could barely control…his heart raced savagely as his body fell under Aizen's touches, as he was invaded and filled with that man's essence, then left, shaking and breathless, hating himself for wanting it to happen again and again. And just when he had abandoned all hope of their being a shred of humanity in the beast, the man had set his clothing back around his bared and bite-marked shoulders and said something that resonated deeply inside him._

_"Byakuya," he said quietly, "There is no dishonor in sharing your body with your soul bonded."_

_The noble let out a short puff of breath._

_"There is no honor in being used by you, Aizen Sousuke," he said in a low voice, "None."_

_"I thought that you and his majesty were using me," Aizen commented, "Perhaps I was returning the favor…sad though it is that our king uses others like you to spare himself…"_

_"I agreed to this…"_

_"Well," said Aizen softly, "as you were so quick to point out, you had no other viable choices. You allowed this to protect your king."_

_"He must be protected or our worlds will fail. Don't you understand that? As his nobles, his servants, we are sworn to trade our lesser lives to protect his. What happens to me is…of little importance, compared to the saving of our worlds…"_

_Aizen watched quietly as the noble rose onto his knees and remained on the bed, his head lowered and his eyes hidden. He picked up the top of Byakuya's shihakushou and slipped it around the noble's bared shoulders._

_"Don't think so lowly of yourself," he said, touching Byakuya's face lightly, "Come…we have important work to do…"_

His tired mind reflected on that and if he had been in his body anymore, he would have been unable to contain a smile. He had thought himself degraded, dishonored, and abandoned by a king who only wanted to use him as everyone else seemed to. But even though Sousuke had used him, the man had always concerned himself deeply with Byakuya's state of mind…on the one hand hurting him, but on the other, appreciating his strength and acting to help make him stronger. And he knew when he looked into his lover's brown eyes that last time, he had seen pain and regret at the thought of losing him.

Sousuke loved him. And he returned that love wholeheartedly now. And if dying was what he asked, then Byakuya was more than willing to accept death. As he fell the last bit into that darkness, his soul finally achieved peace.

XXXXXXXXXX

Diablo watched with stunned eyes as history slowly repeated itself, as the noble Kuchiki's sacrificed body trembled softly in full surrender under the thrust of the divine blade and with blood leaking from his mouth, he managed the release command with his last, shuddering breath.

"Kyuujo, T-tenrai Tezawari."

And he started to laugh at Byakuya for being so naïve, for thinking that some magic was going to save him. He was going to die, and the king's son was going to perish with him. He wouldn't allow them any other fate.

Yet, even as the sound rose on his lips, it froze there, while he watched with disbelieving eyes and the power of the divine blade roared to life. And then it seemed that the dead noble was laughing at him…as though the still form shook with joy at his miscalculation. But what, he wondered, had he done wrong? He had denied the Kuchiki noble the making of the new heir. He had cut through every defense. And yet, as though to defy him, the golden tendrils of Tenrai Tezawari's power rose up and slowly bound themselves together to make the King's Chamber. And inside the chamber, a man's shape formed…formed and swelled with his and the noble's sacrificed power, making the temple shudder warningly. Diablo watched in silent dismay as the chamber shattered and Aizen Sousuke stepped out, dressed in blinding, white robes and vibrating gently with power. He gazed down lovingly at the lifeless body of his lover, kissed him on the forehead and closed his eyes.

He rose to full height again and turned to face the reborn demon. Diablo glared back with defiant eyes and lifted a calm hand.

"I don't know how you and that damned Kuchiki did this," he growled, "but you are about to lose something dear to you!"

And before Aizen could move, a blast erupted from his hand and enveloped the Altar of Passage, shattering it and instantly incinerating the body that laid upon it.

"Well," said Diablo, "he wanted so badly to die for you, ne? Too bad there will be no reiatsu to rebuild him with. He is gone and even if you get lucky and kill me, you will never have him back! Now, DIE, son of Yoshiaki!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow carried Nel on his shoulders and followed Renji, Rukia, Ichigo and the Shihoin lady, Yoruichi, through the dimension wall and into the spirit realm. The ground shook softly under them and the thunder of released power roared in the distance.

"The palace is this way," Yoruichi told them, "Come on. The battle is underway."

They started walking in the direction of the sounds, the rumble under their feet growing with every step. Then, suddenly, pain shot through each of them, bringing them to their knees instantly, their hands clenching hard at their hearts.

"N-n-ii-sama," Rukia managed in a choked whisper.

All eyes turned to meet hers.

"Nii-sama," she called again, her voice rising with the wind into a shattering scream.

NII-SAMA!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The Devil's Eyes**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Always your eyes watched me. From the moment I drew breath, you stalked me. Masked in lovely dreams to soothe the pain that you, yourself caused, you wore the face of an angel, but in your amber and obsidian eyes, I saw the truth. And now that we stand, face to face, I will make your eyes close…forever…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"My," Aizen said in a soft, sarcastic lilt, locking his blade against Diablo's as the demon attacked, "Someone is quite full of himself."

He raised his reiatsu until his body glowed with white heat and the temple shook itself apart.

"There now," Aizen went on, "We have more space for fighting."

Diablo met the hardened brown eyes squarely.

"Interesting," he said, moving forward slightly, "You _are _a cold bastard, ne? Your beloved has been killed in front of you, and his body destroyed, yet you do not even flinch. Poor unfortunate Byakuya. He trusted you…loved you, and look what you did to him. You treated him like your own personal plaything, and the moment he showed how much he loved you, you abandoned him. Do you even care that he's gone?"

"Byakuya is not your concern," Aizen said, flash stepping and meeting Diablo's blade again, "And _my_ only concern is to use the advantage that he died to give me, to kill you and to find my destiny."

"Your destiny is to die, and to give me my throne! I should have had it hundreds of years ago, when I killed _them_, but Hajime was a clever little bitch, much like your Byakuya. So tell me, what did I do wrong? How did he get that infernal thing to work?"

"Tenrai Tezawari?" queried Aizen, "That should be obvious, even if you are wrapped in hatred and seething with anger. I think you let your anger blind you. You see, Tenrai Tezawari is a weapon of desperation. My father apparently didn't possess the power to destroy you on his own, but by borrowing Hajime's power, which was sacrificed through the use of the blade, he was able to gather what he needed to overcome you. And after killing you, he thwarted your desires by bringing Hajime back out of death."

Diablo moved into a series of heavy slashes that Aizen sidestepped and blocked. Diablo watched as the shinigami's body moved easily, showing no sign of being strained. He launched a series of kido strikes and alternated the kido with lightning speed turns and steps. The motion of the shinigami's body blurred and he met and countered each attack. Several small blows landed and both bodies were marked with blood when they broke apart and stood braced against each other, glaring into each other's eyes and panting softly.

"You still haven't explained why the blade worked. Was the Kuchiki lord actually still pregnant?"

"No," answered Aizen, "He was not pregnant. And nothing he did helped the situation. Byakuya was convinced you had won and was going to lose. But you see, I remembered something about the sacrifice that you apparently forgot."

"Oh?" said the demon, glaring, "And what is that?"

Aizen's lips curved into a sly smile.

"I must thank you," he said, still in that quiet, unruffled tone, "Because, you see, you were the one who made my rebirth possible. Byakuya had no reiatsu cluster inside…but when you sent my soul into his body, your arrogant act placed a second reiatsu…_my_ reiatsu, inside him, completing the requirements for use of the blade."

"Little bastard!" Diablo hissed, moving into a scathing volley of kido attacks and slashes that left both bleeding freely, "_You_ speak to _me_ of arrogance?"

Diablo's rage swelled, both at his inability to break through the shinigami's defenses and Aizen's cocky, annoying attitude.

"Now, don't get too reckless out of anger," Aizen said smoothly, "or is it that you are embarrassed? I would be…after going to such lengths. You really went to a great deal of trouble, setting Hajime up, killing them, but being undone by their combined power that outstripped yours. I must congratulate you for thinking to snatch me and send my soul into the cycle of birth and rebirth. It was a brilliant move, strategy-wise…and using me to revive yourself must have made you feel very good."

"Shut up, king's whelp!" the demon snapped, launching another savage assault.

"I must congratulate you, too," Aizen went on, "in how you ensured my isolation. By placing me on the path to being born as a shinigami, but with unnaturally strong powers, you caused me to sense that I was different from others. That made me feel odd, out of place…lonely. I had no idea that the reason I felt out of place was because I wasn't intended to be like them. I wasn't a shinigami at all, but a fledgling god. And by making me believe I was one of them, but that I just didn't fit in, you filled me with feelings of despair and anger. It was my desire to belong to something I wasn't a part of that undid me. Were you proud?"

Aizen paused and gazed deeply into the demon's eyes again.

"Did you enjoy sowing the wickedness inside me like that, corrupting me when I had no way to defend myself? You must have enjoyed it. And imagine how pleased you were when you teased yourself into my mind and set me to the task of creating you. I must ask, though, why did Kisuke come up with the idea as well?"

"You needed his imperfect hougyoku to perfect yours," answered the demon, circling him and flash stepping in to attack, "And I needed a back up plan in case you failed."

"Hmmm," said Aizen, moving in and slashing the demon across the chest, making him gasp and fall to his knees.

He watched for a moment, then blinked slowly and went on.

"Don't you mean, in case _you_ failed?" he continued, as though not noticing that the demon was on his knees, panting and covered in blood, "I mean, I embodied the power of both of my forebears. That gave me the incredible reiatsu that set me apart. You feared me, ne? You feared that your little experiment could fail and I would prove to be too strong."

He watched, frowning as Diablo's lips curled into a smile and he began to laugh.

"Baka!" he said, looking down at the heavy slashes on his body, "I have all of the powers I had as the hougyoku…and I have your body, which you altered so that it could regenerate."

Red light flared around him and the slashes faded away.

"Give up, now, king's brat! You are going to lose…and I will kill you!"

Aizen's body flared white in answer and his own injuries disappeared.

"You are going to kill me, you say? How bold of you to think such a thing! How arrogant! And as you were somewhat of a parent to me, in that you cursed my soul, stalked me and made sure I grew up tormented and alone, so that I would be the kind of person who would create something like the hougyoku, I have, I admit, inherited that same arrogance…that boldness that would make you say such a thing as 'I will kill you' to me when you, yourself are about to die."

Aizen smiled.

"Do you see your own death coming, Diablo? I feel it all around me. I feel Byakuya's laughter, knowing that his sacrifice was a trust well-placed. I have surprised myself, I think, by proving worthy of that trust."

Diablo snarled and shot forward, his blade aimed at Aizen's heart. His eyes widened with shock when the man made no move to evade the blow, but accepted the full force of his enemy's blade into his heart.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo approached the place where Rukia still laid in Renji's arms, and he set a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Come on," he said quietly, "I know you are hurting really badly. But we have to move forward and deal with this. If Byakuya is dead, then we should be prepared to fight to protect the king."

"Wh-why?" Rukia sobbed, "So we can die for nothing, like my brother just did? Ichigo, if the hougyku could do that to my brother, then we're all going to die, anyway! It doesn't matter where or how! It's our fate now…"

"Hey," said Grimmjow gruffly, his tone drawing all eyes to him, "Maybe we are all fated to die here…but isn't it better to die fighting with everything we have? To die fighting to protect something important? Isn't that what Byakuya was saying by dying? That this is important to him…to all of us?"

Nel's face erupted into a wide smile and she shifted to her resurreccion form. She approached the stunned Sexta Espada and hugged him, leaving him staring in surprise.

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" he asked, a flush rising on his skin.

"I'm sorry," Nel said, still smiling, "It's just that…well…this is the first time since Aizen-sama was captured that Grimmjow has shown his fighting spirit."

"What do you mean, baka?" Grimmjow snapped, "I've fought plenty since that bastard got himself captured!"

Ichigo laughed softly and Grimmjow glared at him.

"I think that what Nel's trying to say is that she sees that your heart is in this battle. I think that we can all agree that ours are too. Byakuya gave his life, because he believed it was worth it to fight…and we will honor his sacrifice by doing the same thing…"

His eyes met Grimmjow's meaningfully, and the Sexta Espada's flush deepened.

"Fool!" the Espada snapped, drawing his sword, "I'm a hollow. I don't _have_ a heart!"

"Really," said Ichigo, moving closer and drawing his own weapon, "because I think I can hear it beating from here. And besides, hollow…human…shinigami? None of those things matter right now. We're fighting to save our worlds, and that makes us comrades, even if we aren't friends."

"Huh…" huffed Grimmjow, narrowly evading the smile that tugged at his lips.

He chose to leave it at that.

Rukia pulled free of Renji, and the two stood, wiping their tears away and drawing their weapons.

"You're right," said Renji quietly, "If Taichou thought this was so important to fight for, then we have to honor him by continuing that fight."

Rukia sniffed and nodded.

"Yes," she agreed, "We will fight as bravely as he did."

Yoruichi sighed softly and moved ahead of them to lead them on. The group moved forward, listening as the rumble of power grew louder and the reiatsu around them became intense.

"Aizen is fighting the power of the hogyoku now," Yoruichi said softly, "It appears that Byakuya's death has affected him, too, and made him want to fight it. It will be difficult getting closer. We will move to the closest point we can bear, but I think we must await the outcome of this battle before we can intercede."

Grimmjow turned and met Rukia's reddened eyes.

"Your brother may not have been able to destroy the hougyoku, but he turned Aizen against it. I wouldn't have thought that was possible. It may not bring you a lot in the way of comfort, but he made his death count for something."

Rukia managed a nod and swallowed hard.

"And I will do no less than my brother. If I am going to die, I will make my death count, too."

XXXXXXXXXX

Diablo's shock turned to laugher as his blade sank into Aizen's heart and blood exploded around them. Aizen's eyes widened and his hand gripped the blade that had entered him and sought to steal his life away.

"How does it feel?" Diablo purred in a satisfied voice, "How does it feel to die the way Byakuya did? You don't have Tenrai Tezawari working for you now, so there is no safety net for you, king's brat! I will suck the life out of you, and I will do it painfully slowly, so I can watch as you shrivel and disappear! I don't want to miss a minute of this! You were so smug, talking about your great power, but where is your power now, Aizen Sousuke? It is bleeding out of you and into me…and when that is done, I will have stolen your body, your power and your place as king!"

He fell into stunned silence as laughter emerged from Aizen's impaled form. As the demon watched, the sound of Aizen's laughter rose, making the wind howl around them and shaking the ground beneath their feet.

"Why?" the surprised demon asked, looking unnerved, "Why are you laughing?"

The sound coming from Aizen's lips stopped and the calm, brown eyes locked on the demon.

"I think I keep overestimating your intelligence," he said with smooth sarcasm, "because you keep surprising me."

"What?" the demon hissed.

"You should be embarrassed, having already made the same mistake before."

"What are you talking about?"

He started to rip the blade from Aizen's chest, but a calm hand wrapped around it and held it in place. He fastened his eyes on the demons, and Diablo froze, staring.

"What I am talking about," Aizen went on, "is the fact that I needn't have ever raised my sword to slash at you. Once again, you have, yourself, handed me the key to victory. Just as you provided Byakuya with the reiatsu he needed to activate Tenrai Tezawari's power, you have handed me the key to your death. Your weapon is inside me, and yes, it is slowly draining me of life and power. You act as though you drain me slowly so that you can enjoy the experience, but there's more to it than that, ne?"

Diablo shrieked and tried again to loose the sword from Aizen's body, then failing that, tried to release the sword, but found his hands bound to it.

"You absorb my power slowly, so that your stolen body can handle it. You are in the less powerful body you stole from me…but this body, created by Tenrai Tezawari contains my power and Byakuya's. All I must do is to give you more of my reiatsu power than your body can handle."

He stared deeply into the demon's eyes and fired his power through the sword that impaled him. Blinding white light erupted around them, shaking the ground apart under their feet as the power entered the demon's shocked form and fired itself through his spirit centers. The creature gave a last, surprised gasp, then his body exploded, the bits of it shining red for a moment, then slowly fading away. As he fell, two amber and obsidian eyes dropped to the ground where he had been standing. Aizen glowered down at them for a moment, then calmly crushed them under his heel.

He pulled the dead demon's weapon from his chest and dropped onto his knees on the broken ground, his chest heaving softly and still pulsing with blood. He placed a hand over the wound and slowly healed it, then stood, breathing slowly as his head spun from the drain he had placed on his systems in defeating the demon. He moved back through the debris until he found the shattered rocks that had been the Altar of Passage. He searched carefully, and found the King's Prism, then continued searching for something that might have been left behind when Byakuya's body was destroyed.

He sensed others approaching and looked up at them as they arrived and stood a short distance away from him, gazing at him in silence.

Aizen Sousuke," Yoruichi said finally, breaking the silence, "We felt Byakuya's death and the destruction of the hougyoku. Is it your intention now to challenge the king? Because if it is, we are prepared to fight to defend him."

"The king is dead already," he said in a tired voice, "That is the secret that Byakuya was forced to carry. He told me that the king was already dead, and that he brought me here to destroy the hougyoku and to take my place as his rightful heir. Byakuya allowed the demon to take his life to activate the power of Tenrai Tezawari. It caused me to be reborn carrying my power and Byakuya's, and it allowed me to overcome the demon."

"You, the rightful heir?" sneered Grimmjow, "Right! A miserable, backstabbing bastard…my king? I don't think so!"

"Grimmjow has a point," Yoruichi said calmly, "You are likely to encounter many who will question your story…and even those who accept it will question your ruthlessness in committing murder and other crimes, as well as threatening your own father. How do we know that King Yoshiaki meant for you to succeed him?"

Aizen took a breath, then braced himself. He brought forth the King's Prism and focused on it, concentrating deeply. The prism flared softly under his hands, then an explosion of colored lights erupted in all directions, flooding the spirit dimension, the Seireitei, the living world and even the night sky of Hueco Mundo with bright, colorful rainbows. White hell butterflies flowed out, through all of the dimensions, the length and breadth of the three worlds, covered the skies and hovered there waiting. The light around Aizen Sousuke swelled and deepened until he disappeared into it. And as the divine butterflies carried to all corners of the worlds the story of the betrayal of the former king, the taking of the prince's soul and his slow, arduous journey back home, Aizen Sousuke found himself in a sea of white light, connecting with the power and wisdom of his fathers, the king Yoshiaki and the noble consort, Hajime. It was then that for the first time, Aizen Sousuke felt a connection to the family he had been taken from. He sighed softly.

"Arigato, watashi no koi," he whispered, "And you may have faith in me. I will not cease searching until I find a way to restore you. You have done what no other, not even the hougyoku, could do. You have brought me home…and I will find the way to reward you for that."

Around him, the power still flared, picking up the ash and broken pieces of the temple, lifting them into the air and slowly setting each back in its place. When the light finally faded, Aizen Sousuke found himself standing near Yoruichi, Rukia, Renji, Ichigo, Grimmjow and Nel, inside the restored temple, in front of the Altar of Passage.

Rukia released a hard sob and the temple filled with surprise gasps as each registered what lay on the Altar. Aizen moved forward and took Byakuya's charred and broken zanpakutou into his hand, staring. He looked back at the others' stunned faces and nodded in acknowledgement.

"I swear to you, I will find the way to restore him."

He slipped the weapon into his belt and then reached out and set the King's Prism on the Altar. There was a long moment of silence, then the prism sank down into the newly restored stone. The temple's back doors creaked open, revealing the way to the palace.

"Huh," muttered Grimmjow, "I guess the bastard really is king…"

Aizen smirked.

"Come," he said to the others. You will spend tonight in the palace. I think that your presence might be of some consolation to Kuchiki Ginrei. The loss of his grandson will be difficult for him."

He didn't wait for an answer, but moved out onto the opened trail. And one by one, the others gathered in the temple, turned to follow him.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: The White Consort**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**I walked toward my fate with purpose. Of course I would miss what was left behind, but I walked away willingly. Set free, I approached the crossing point, the Garden of Life, the place where heaven begins. Your voice stopped me as I stepped onto the bridge, and with surprised eyes and an enraged heart, I began to fall…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen Sousuke slowed as he reached the beginning of the path to the palace and found it lined with Royal Guardsmen. They stood, silent and staring, their faces impassive as he walked by them. And he gathered from the feel of the reiatsu around him that many had their doubts about him acting as their king. Most would not have the initiative or power to be a threat, but he prepared himself for the possibility of unrest and resolved to head it off quickly. Whatever their feelings, the guardsmen stood ready, and they turned as he and the ones following him passed. They climbed the palace steps and stopped as he was met by Royal Guard taichou, Kuchiki Ginrei and Norite (mounted guard) taichou, Saito Ryota. Both men bowed and then met his eyes with deep seriousness.

"Welcome Prince Aizen," said Kuchiki Ginrei, "The Royal Guard and Norite stand ready to serve…"

He looked as though he would have said more, but his eye stopped as it took in the sight of his grandson's broken zanpakutou. His lips tightened and he swallowed and lowered his eyes, but he said nothing.

"Kuchiki Ginrei," Aizen said quietly, "I would speak with you alone in the King's Garden regarding Byakuya. I see that you are aware of his death. I have vowed to return him to life and seek your council in finding the way to do so."

"Why?" Ginrei asked softly, "Why would you do that?"

"What do you mean?" asked Aizen, "You do not wish for your grandson to return to you alive?"

The old noble let out a slow breath and raised his eyes to meet Aizen's.

"Byakuya chose to yield himself to destroy Diablo and to place you on the throne. His death was an honorable one and his soul is at peace. Why would you be so arrogant as to tamper with his free will?"

"I am to be made king," said Aizen, narrowing his eyes, "Byakuya's life is mine to save or to let go of. And if I ask for your help, I hope you do not plan to resist the request."

The noble's eyes darkened slightly, but he nodded briefly.

"If that is your wish," he said, his eyes just this side of glaring.

"It is," said Aizen, "Now, I will need an introduction to the castle."

"Of course, my lord, "said Ginrei, turning, "I will show you around the palace and then we will meet with the former king's advisors."

He bowed his head in greeting to the others who stood slightly behind Aizen, offering Yoruichi a small smile.

"Greetings, Ginrei dono," Yoruichi said, nodding, "It is good to see you again."

Ginrei's eyes strayed over the others.

"This is an unusual group you travel with. I assume these hollows are…comrades?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"They protected Byakuya-san while he was in Hueco Mundo and they assisted in his mission."

Ginrei nodded to Nel and Grimmjow.

"Then, you have my gratitude," he said softly.

He led the group into the palace and spent the next hour escorting them around, before sending servants to take Yoruichi and the others to their rooms, and leading Aizen to the King's Council meeting chambers.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Byakuya woke next to find himself in a stunningly beautiful garden. Filled with light and flowers, it soothed his sudden uncertainty as he faced what happened next. He stood and looked around, but saw no one else in the garden with him. He then found himself on a quiet trail that led through a grove of sakura trees and along to a small footbridge. As he reached the footbridge, he heard voices on the other side. He looked across and saw the familiar faces of family and friends who had passed over before him. They smiled at him from the place across the bridge and called his name._

_He couldn't help but smile at seeing them again and he was pleased that in death he was, as he had always hoped, able to join them. He felt a twinge of regret at leaving his other loved ones behind, but was comforted by the fact that they would meet again. With contentment in his heart, he stepped onto the bridge and began to make his crossing. As he reached the midpoint, he felt something rise up and block his path._

"_What is this?" he whispered softly, "Why is the pathway blocked?"_

_He looked up and found himself staring into Aizen Sousuke's eyes._

"_S-sousuke?" he breathed uncertainly._

"_I still have a claim on your fate," said his lover, "You may not to cross until I allow it."_

"_What do you mean?" the noble said, frowning, "It is my fate to choose. I chose to die…to save you. I am at peace with that decision. You need not concern yourself with me anymore."_

_Aizen's frown deepened._

"_Do you mean to say that you do not love me? You do not wish to return to me?" he asked in a disapproving voice, "You want to leave me?"_

_Byakuya let out an annoyed breath._

"_Of course not," he said, his voice growing strident, "but I judged it better to lose my life to defend yours. Sometimes, that is just how it is. You have to accept another person's right to make choices of his free will. To step in and simply assert your will over mine is…is…something only an arrogant fool like you would do! You aren't just a shinigami seeking to be king anymore. You are king and you must allow your subjects to make their choices and live…or die as fate decrees. It is the way of things."_

_Aizen placed his hands on the noble's shoulders and glared down into his eyes, freezing him in place. Byakuya's eyes went wide with shock as Aizen's words reached him._

"_It is not my way!"_

_Byakuya felt the ground disappear beneath his feet, and as he was left too breathless to cry out, he began to fall._

_"It is just like you to do something like this…you cocky bastard! You have no idea what you are doing, do you?" Byakuya thought as he fell._

"_Hush now," said Aizen's voice in his whirling mind, "I am going to bring you back…"_

_"You don't even know how! I could end up a brainless vegetable or worse, a hollow! Stop this!"_

"_Your king just told you to be quiet and cooperate. I swore a vow to bring you back, and I will find a way."_

"_Arrogant fool!"_

XXXXXXXXXX

"The council recognizes Crown Prince Aizen Sousuke," said Head Councilor Nori, "Prince Sousuke, his majesty, the late King Yoshiaki, may he rest in peace, left instructions that when you reached the spirit dimension, you were to be greeted and immediately crowned. We will see to your coronation tomorrow in the King's Garden."

He paused and studied Aizen for a moment before going on.

"I think you will understand that many among the ones here do not share the king's confidence in you. His majesty hoped that you would work closely with this council to oversee the…"

"You can stop right there, Councilor," Aizen said calmly, "I can tell you now that no such thing will happen. I will, of course, seek advice on how best to gain the trust of my people, but this group is a disaster waiting to happen."

"Wh-what do you mean, my lord?" asked Nori.

"This is what I mean," said the prince, moving closer to the head councilor, "You do not approve of me. However, you were completely devoted to my father and you are willing to assist me in learning to act successfully as king. You may stay."

He moved to the next councilor.

"You, Councilor Arata, cannot stand the sight of me. You are here under protest, because you worried about losing the king's favor. Your larger concern is not about me…or your former lord's desires. You seek power. You shall find none here. Go."

He moved on, leaving Arata staring.

"Councilor Fumio," he went on, "You served my father well, but you did not agree with him when it came to me. You never opposed him openly, but you would oppose me. You may leave, or I will kill you."

He turned to the next councilor.

"Councilor Akira, you may have your differences about some things with the former king, but he had your unfailing loyalty, and you have resolved to do your best to advise me well. You may stay. And Kuchiki Ginrei and Saito Ryota, you may also stay. The rest of you are excused."

"Excused?" hissed Arata, standing and placing his hands on the table, "You cannot simply excuse us! We were placed in these positions by the king! The rightful king, who you could not hold a candle to, you piece of hollow world trash! You have made a roomful of powerful enemies who will…"

A roar sounded in the room and raw, white power struck Arata, throwing him back against the wall and then burning his body away to nothing. Aizen watched him disappear, then turned back to the white-faced council members.

"Let me make something clear to all of you. I see through you. When I received the imprints of my father and Kuchiki Hajime from the King's Prism, I also gained crucial information. My father did his best to leave things well for me, and he left it to me to use the knowledge of the advisors as I see fit. This council meeting was a test…to make certain I could sniff out my enemies, and to make sure that those of you who might be dangerous would be weeded out. Now, I have asked some of you to leave. I suggest you do so swiftly."

The ousted councilors rose quickly and left, their discontented voices rising up again as they moved out of the room. Aizen watched them leave, then turned to the men who were left behind.

"Now then," he said quietly, "I cannot promise that I will do everything you say, but I do understand the need to mend fences and to build pathways. Kuchiki Ginrei, I should like you to be my personal advisor."

"B-but, I am already Royal Guard taichou," objected the noble, "I couldn't possibly…"

"Of course you can…and you will. I have to admit, you are one of the few men that I wager will not stab me in the back. Sadly, you are in the minority right now. But I think that you and I can change that. People respect you. And you are Byakuya's grandfather. If I have your support, it will go a long way. So…you will be my personal advisor."

Ginrei cleared his throat softly and ignored the stares of the other councilors.

"Of course, my lord," he answered quietly.

"Very well, then," Aizen went on, "This council is dismissed until after the coronation. Kuchiki Ginrei, I will need you in the King's Garden to consult about restoring my soul bonded."

"Y-yes, Prince Aizen," Ginrei said, his eyes flaring softly.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure that you know what you are doing?" asked Ginrei, "As much as I want my grandson to return, I must caution you on your heedlessness in this! Byakuya as you know him, may not be retrievable. You may summon some part of him back using the form you plan to construct and taking the reiatsu from Senbonzakura, but the small amount of reiatsu is not likely to be enough. Please consider what you are doing. I do not wish to resist his majesty's will, however…"

"I understand," said Aizen, "My ways are different than what you know. So you resist out of a sense of duty. But you know in your heart that you want Byakuya to return. I can sense it, so do not deny it."

"I do not deny the temptation, but you need to consider the consequences, my lord. You may make things worse. He could become lodged between worlds. He could be too damaged to be cognizant. He might not remember us. So many perils are associated with this…"

"Yes, I am aware," Aizen said, stepping out of the throne room and into the garden, "But I made a vow to seek his return. And I am going to do that."

Ginrei shook his head and sighed.

"I have done my best to give my lord wise advice, but I will not accept fault if his majesty's pig-headedness leads him to ruin!" he said, turning on his heel and striding out of the garden.

"Like grandfather, like grandson," Aizen mused, smirking.

He spent the next several hours gathering materials. He walked through the grove of sakura trees, studying each carefully. This one, he judged to be a bit too tall, that one too bent and another not proud enough. But finally, he caught sight of one at the edge of the grove with a sturdy, slender trunk, unblemished bark, a proud demeanor and graceful looking, uplifted limbs. Quietly, he began to shape it with touches of his bare hands and intense will. The sakura tree trembled several times as he worked, and a few times, he had to step back to view from different angles, but when he finished, he found himself pleased with the lovely frame crafted in the shape of his lover's bones.

He gathered thousands of sakura petals and carried them and the frame to the edge of the healing pool. He placed his hands in the water and began to remove handfuls of wet earth, which he spread over the sakura frame, then fused the two together with his reiatsu, working the thick mud until it hardened and firmed into cartilage, veins and other body tissues. He infused these with water from the pool, which thickened and darkened into blood. He laid soft petals over the body then, and left to visit the herds of spirit steeds to gather silken hairs from their manes. He added the hair and carefully worked with it until it fell just the way he remembered, then trimmed the strands to the proper lengths. He spent several hours on reaching the right shadings of color for the pale skin, and even longer finding just the right textures for the fingernails and toenails, the sensuous lips and long eyelashes. Evening had come by the time he finished the body, and he laid it down carefully in the healing pool, then climbed in and knelt next to it. He let the crafted body sink beneath the surface and ran his hands over it repeatedly, infusing it with his reiatsu and fashioning the noble's carefully placed spirit centers. Gradually, the body gained cohesiveness and began to look more real. Aizen poured in more power and watched until the body lay, looking just as Byakuya had, much like an angel, floating beneath the surface of the water and looking up into the sky through sightless gray eyes. Aizen sighed wearily and gazed down at the body, smiling contentedly.

The last steps he took were the most crucial. First, he picked up the broken Senbonzakura and sheathed it in the body's midsection, then, watching the noble's face carefully, he focused on the blade and forced out the small, remaining portion of Byakuya's reiatsu that remained within the blade. As the blade crumbled and disappeared, he used his own reiatsu to provide stability to the incomplete reiatsu and left the body in the pool while he returned to his room and slept. When he came into the garden again, he checked the reiatsu and found it to be weak, but functional. And as there was nothing more he could think to do, he knelt in the water and lifted the prepared body into his arms. He smiled at the fact that the weight felt right, the textures and shadings seemed perfect and the body even gave off that same lovely sakura scent. He kissed the noble's cold lips, then opened Byakuya's mouth and breathed life force into him. He pulled away again as the body in his arms shuddered and twitched softly. The eyes blinked several times and slowly cleared. The heart beneath Aizen's hand began to beat and the shinigami's chest rose and fell steadily.

"Byakuya," Aizen said quietly, "Byakuya, wake up."

The wide, gray eyes focused on his and remained locked there as Aizen's arm wrapped around him and lifted him gently so that he was sitting up in the healing pool. Byakuya let his eyes stray away from Aizen's, and ran them slowly around the garden, studying everything closely. He looked down at, and gently touched his body, then his eyes returned to Aizen's and held them silently.

"Byakuya, do you know who I am?" Aizen asked, placing a gentle hand on his face.

Byakuya blinked and gazed at him silently.

"Byakuya, can you speak?"

The noble shivered under his hands and shook his head.

"But you understand?"

The noble nodded.

"Do you know who I am?" Aizen asked again.

Byakuya nodded.

"Do you remember what happened to you in the temple?"

The noble shook his head.

"Do you remember anything from before waking here with me?"

Byakuya thought for several minutes, then shook his head.

Aizen let out a frustrated breath, then gave the noble a fleeting smile.

"It will be all right, Byakuya. I am sure things will come back to you," he assured the noble.

But he heard again, the regimen of Ginrei's voiced doubts and wondered if he had been wrong.

_But even if I was wrong, I do owe him. So, I will not abandon him now that he needs me._

He took Byakuya's hand and led him out of the water, then gently dried him off and wrapped a yukata around him, tying it at the waist, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him several times. Though the noble seemed almost too yielding and he longed to feel resistant hands pushing at him, he shoved the thoughts out of his mind and smiled at Byakuya.

"Come, we need to rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day. I am being crowned king…and you and I are going to be married. Byakuya, do you have any objections to marrying me?"

The noble gazed at him thoughtfully and shook his head.

"I know that you have a long way to go yet in your recovery, but…when we soul bonded, you did say that after our mission together, you would belong to me. I am eager to begin our future together as soon as possible."

Byakuya said nothing, but only met his gaze quietly and followed without complaint as Aizen led him into the palace. The prince guided the noble to his bedroom, carefully concealing them from all eyes. They walked inside the bedroom and Aizen closed the door behind them. He motioned towards the bed and Byakuya slipped in beneath the covers. Aizen climbed in next to him and pulled him close. He studied the noble's calm face and kissed him several times, noting again the unusually docile nature of Byakuya's new incarnation. He let his fingers trace the lines of Byakuya's face and smiled at him.

"You seem very comfortable with me kissing you," he noted, "But I must ask you…do you desire me or are you just being passive?"

A tentative hand rose and touched his face, and soft pale lips sought his for several more slow, deep kisses. Despite his concerns about the noble's loss of memory and change in personality, he consoled himself with the genuine emotion in Byakuya's eyes and touches. He met the dark gray eyes affectionately.

"Tomorrow, you will meet some family and friends. I will speak to them beforehand so that you will not be startled by their reactions. Perhaps seeing them again will help you remember something."

He sighed softly.

"I must ask you one more question. Byakuya, after our wedding tomorrow, I will want to take you sexually. Do you have any objection to this?"

He found the flush that rose on the noble's cheeks alluring, but couldn't help feeling somewhat sad at the uncertain look in his soul bonded's eyes and the hesitance, even as he indicated his willingness.

_I will be patient with him. After all, he did tell me he loved me before. That can't have been lost entirely. Tomorrow then…when we make love. He will remember something. I know he will…_

But the uncertainty remained, even as he drifted off to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: The Coronation**

**(Sorry this took longer than expected, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AIZEN SOUSUKE, my favorite bad boy! Wishing you all the best!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_I wondered before, what it would be like to stand atop the greatest of the mountains, so I fought my way there. With clawed hands, I gripped the crumbling surface and with a resolved heart, I sought the pinnacle. But the solitude I felt, standing there and looking down was no different than it had been in the valley. And now I know the truth. My eyes, my heart and my hands will know no peace until they rest upon you again._**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen Sousuke woke to find a pair of curious gray eyes peeking out at him from beneath a tumble of black strands of hair. Smiling, he reached over and brushed the hairs aside to reveal more of the noble's lovely face. He curved a hand around Byakuya's head and drew him in for a long bout of greeting kisses. The rosy flush on the noble's throat and cheeks sent a soft jolt through his loins, and despite having told himself that he would wait until after the coronation and wedding to make love with his newly returned soul bonded, he found himself tempted.

He sat up and coaxed the noble onto his lap, pulling the tie at his waist free and opening his yukata to reveal the enticing form beneath it. The two indulged in deeper, more insistent kisses as their lengths rubbed warmly together. The prince's resolve was nearly undone as he slid his hands down the long, straight back and wrapped them around Byakuya's firm bottom, then the slender hips began to move under his palms, reducing him with nearly alarming swiftness to breathlessness.

"I think," he said quietly, "that we had best continue this _after_ our nuptials, ne Byakuya? Any more of this and I think I will require something to tide me over."

Byakuya slid off his lap, then sat, gazing down at Aizen's thickened member.

"Don't worry," Aizen said quietly, "There will be time enough for us to focus on each other after today's excitement. Come."

He took the noble's hand and the two climbed out of bed and made their way to the large bathing room. A servant stood by to assist the prince, but Aizen waved them off before he could notice Byakuya following a step behind.

"Leave me."

The servant disappeared, leaving them alone in the bathing room.

Aizen watched as Byakuya slipped out of his yukata, tested the water with a tentative foot, then stepped in and walked out to the far end of the room length bathing pool. He stood beneath a small, rock waterfall, letting the water rain down into his hair and onto his skin. Aizen thought he looked lovely there, outlined in the delicate ivy that crawled and hung everywhere around him. He shrugged off his own yukata and moved out to join the noble. The two took their time letting their hands roam the contours of each other's bodies, then remained beneath the soothing fall of water, leaned into each other's arms and exchanging slow, deep kisses. Aizen's hands captured the noble's face and their eyes locked.

"Byakuya," he said softly, "Before we go out and start interacting with others, there are some things you need to be aware of. Although most of the ones here accept me as the crown prince, there are those who do not. It is possible that they will use my coronation as an opportunity to attack me. While I am extremely powerful, with the destruction of the hougyoku, I am also able to die. Because of this, we must be extremely cautious. Therefore, I have something in mind for the coronation. I will use Kyouka Suigetsu to make you invisible to them. I want you to keep your eyes open and to alert me if you see anything suspicious. Do not reveal yourself to anyone just yet. We will do that at our wedding, later today."

He slipped an arm around Byakuya and the two returned to the water's edge, where they dried off and dressed in fresh yukatas. They stepped back into Aizen's room, where the prince searched the closet and found an array of formal kimonos. He selected a deep, royal purple one with gold embroidery for himself and a complementary royal blue with tiny, golden accents for Byakuya. When they were dressed, he concealed Byakuya, using Kyouka Suigetsu and the two proceeded out of the room, where Aizen met Kuchiki Ginrei, Saito Ryota and a royal guard detail in the hallway.

"Good morning, my lord," Ginrei greeted him, "The throne room has been prepared for your coronation and…"

"And my wedding," Aizen finished.

"Yes," agreed the noble, "About that. Do you intend to leave us in doubt about the identity of your intended? I understand that with Byakuya's death, your obligation to each other ended…"

"But naturally, you are curious as to how I could, so callously, after his act of self sacrifice, move on to someone new, is that it?"

"My lord…"

"Kuchiki Ginrei, I will not explain yet, but let me assure you that I will not dishonor your grandson's memory."

The noble's eyes blinked slowly, then met Aizen's with a careful look of acknowledgment.

"Of course, my lord," he said quietly, "I will be patient."

"And you will not be disappointed," Aizen said, nodding.

XXXXXXXXXX

The huge double doors opened in front of Aizen Sousuke, revealing the spacious throne room that was lined with Royal Guard. Across the vast expanse of the room, representatives from each of the noble families knelt in perfect rows, their heads lifting and their proud eyes turning to greet him as he entered the room. Around the perimeter of the section where the noble families waited, the seated officers of each division of the Gotei 13 knelt behind them. All eyes watched as the members of the King's Council took their places at the front of the room on either side of the thrones and the taichous of the Royal Guard and Norite moved to the space in front of the thrones and looked expectantly back at the entrance to the room.

Aizen watched as Byakuya moved cautiously into a position where he could easily observe the gallery, then he stepped forward and walked to the front of the room. For the first time since being separated from the hougyoku, he felt the discomfort of having his back, however briefly, turned to a large number of people who, given the opportunity to stab him in the back, would likely have done so gladly. His story might have convinced some of them, but he had much left to answer for in the eyes of others, and he knew it. He had plans for doing that after he was crowned, but he still had to get through the coronation without anything untoward happening. He caught Byakuya's eye for a moment and a smile appeared on his lips. He reached the front of the room, turned slowly and stood, facing the gallery.

"My greetings to you," he said, solemnly, "and welcome to the palace. Before we begin with the coronation, there is something that I need to say to all of you. I know that you have now heard the story of how I was taken from my royal parents and forced into the cycle of birth and rebirth, where I was born as a shinigami and set on the path to becoming Aizen Sousuke, Lord of Hueco Mundo and traitor to the shinigamis. It would be wrong for me to stand before you and deny my part in that. I did pick and choose my own steps, and I felt right in doing so at the time. However, I did not see the treachery of the hougyoku until it was too late. If not for the courage and resolve of one nobleman, I would have succumbed to the will of the hougyoku, and the demon, Diablo, would be standing before you now. "

He paused a drew a breath.

"Kuchiki Byakuya stands as a model of what nobility is. Upon receiving word from the king of my identity and location, Byakuya took on, alone, the task of freeing me, first from the Central 46 prisons, then from the grip of the demon I fused myself with. Knowing that the hougyoku would kill him if it sensed his mission, he nonetheless took the necessary steps, risking the rancor of those he loved and respected, so that he might humbly perform his duties to his king. And from the moment he accepted that task, he never looked at me the way others did again. He didn't look at me as a traitor…or as a criminal, but as his king. He served me well, and my father before me, being willing to lay down his life to protect me and to see me safely returned to this place. In honor of his commitment to me, and for the fathers I was not able to know because of Diablo's treachery, I will dedicate myself to bringing balance and stability to the three worlds. And before I begin that task, I would like to recognize those to whom Byakuya and I owe a debt of gratitude, for offering assistance at critical times in our journey. Will you please bring them forward?"

Yoruichi, Rukia, Renji, Grimmjow and Nel were led forward, where they stood, facing Aizen and waiting silently. Aizen stepped forward.

"Kuchiki Rukia, you suffered a great deal because of Diablo's manipulations. You had more reason than most to vilify Byakuya for releasing me. And yet, you kept your faith in him and proved to be a devoted sister. You have our gratitude for your dedication and you are promoted to the rank of fukutaichou."

A gold medallion on a bright ribbon appeared in his hands and he set it around her neck, then moved on to Renji.

"Abarai fukutaichou, you are another who suffered greatly as Diablo took his treacherous steps. You acted as Rukia's protector…and then became Byakuya's devoted comrade and friend. You stood by your taichou, even when common sense made you have doubts. You trusted in Byakuya's vision, and because of that, he was able to reach the spirit dimension unscathed. You also have our gratitude and a recommendation for promotion to the rank of taichou."

He set a medallion around Renji's neck and moved on to Yoruichi.

"Shihoin Yoruichi," he said, smiling, "Twice during Byakuya's struggles, you assisted him in escaping pursuit. You proved to be a true friend and a valuable ally to him, and therefore, I consider this as a service to me."

He set another medallion around Yoruichi's neck and moved on to Grimmjow and Nel.

"Espadas Grimmjow and Nel, the two of you were responsible for protecting Byakuya from more than a few great dangers, the poisoning, the hollow witch's lair, the pursuit of the shinigamis, and most notably, the hougyoku itself. Byakuya would not have survived to play his role if not for the two of you. I do not know if you aware of this, but my father left a directive that any hollow who assisted in my return, should receive a special award."

He set one hand on each of them and focused his power through them. The Espadas' eyes widened and they gasped in surprise as their hollow holes slowly disappeared and each began to feel the soft beating of a newly reborn heart.

"Thank you for your service," he said quietly, "and you are welcome to join the ranks of the Gotei 13, if you wish. I am certain that your abilities and knowledge would be appreciated."

The five receiving the awards bowed and turned to take their places in the gallery. Kuchiki Ginrei stepped forward, holding the King's Crown and Saito Ryota approached, bearing the Royal Scepter. They stopped on either side of him, holding the items ready. Kuchiki Ginrei cleared his throat softly.

"Aizen Sousuke," he said, meeting the prince's eyes, "I served your father for many years, and as his life was ending, I promised his majesty that I would do my part in seeing you crowned and well advised about your role as king of the three worlds. As the crown settles on your head, his majesty, the late King Yoshiaki calls upon you to take on the weight of the fates of the three worlds and all of the souls contained within them. He charges you with maintaining the atmosphere of free will and choices, while wishing you wisdom to be a fair and just ruler, despite the unfairness that you had to endure, having been taken from your family and twisted by the machinations of one of your father's creations."

He set the crown on Aizen's head, then stepped back. Saito Ryota stepped forward.

"I also have served your father for many years, and particularly difficult were the years when you schemed against his majesty and planned his death. It simply proves that no one knows how his fate will turn, and we must all be careful in our choices. I think that while your struggles have been difficult, they will have given you important wisdom, I hope you will use to rule fairly. As you accept the King's Scepter, keep in mind the great responsibilities of power, and strong leadership."

He set the scepter in the prince's hand and stepped back. Kuchiki Ginrei stepped forward again as Aizen's eyes lifted to meet those of his subjects.

"Noble delegates and members of his majesty's military," said the noble, "We present to you his royal majesty, King Aizen Sousuke."

Sounds of applause and cheers erupted around the room, and Aizen smiled in recognition and gratitude. He sensed then that Byakuya was not where he had been before and registered a sudden odd movement of bodies in front of him.

"DIE TRAITOR!" screamed a male voice, as several dark clad bodies launched themselves at him from within the ranks of the nobles.

"Sousuke!" Byakuya's voice called in desperation.

Even as Aizen started to move, he heard a flash step and the slash of a sword. More screams sounded and the noble delegates scattered, crying out as blood exploded from the bodies of the attackers, and one by one, they fell at King Aizen's feet.

Aizen's eyes met Byakuya's and the new king smiled at his soul bonded, then pulled back the illusion, revealing him to those gathered in the throne room. Sharp cries and gasps sounded all around the room as the noble sheathed his sword and bowed to the king.

Aizen slipped an arm around the noble and waited as the people in the room calmed.

"He speaks," Aizen said, touching Byakuya's lips, "but does he remember?"

Byakuya sighed softly and shook his head.

"I don't know why I was able to speak again," he said in a barely audible voice, "I only know that I saw those men were going to try to hurt you and I reacted."

"Arigato," said Aizen, kissing him again.

"But Sousuke, may I ask you?" the noble went on, "You could have stopped them yourself. Why did you allow me to kill them?"

Aizen smiled.

"Well," he said in a tranquil voice, "It seemed like you really wanted to do it…and besides, it was a lovely way for you to make your entrance, ne?"

The king sighed a bit sadly, knowing that the former incarnation of Byakuya would have had a few choice words for him after such a comment, but this, more gentle version simply nodded and accepted what he said without comment.

When the people in the room had settled sufficiently, Aizen smiled soothingly at them and went on.

"It is to be expected that some will hold on to their enmity of me, but as you see, I am not without protection. I _had_ planned to save the reveal of his return until our wedding, but it seems we were thwarted by necessity, ne Byakuya?"

He kissed the noble lightly on the mouth.

"So, if Head Councilor Nori would be so kind, Kuchiki Byakuya and I would like very much to be married."

"Very well," said Nori, rising from his seat and moving to join them.

The new king took Byakuya's hands and the two turned slightly towards the head councilor.

"We are gathered today for more than one celebration. We have seen the crowning of our new king and now will witness the binding of our king with the noble Kuchiki Byakuya. Although I admit to having been informed that there would be a wedding along with the coronation, it is only now that I have learned that our king was able to restore the lost Kuchiki Byakuya to life. It is a testament to our new king's power that he was able to achieve this. And in addition, it is a reminder of the power of love to conquer all, in this case, it seems, even death. So in celebration of your commitment to each other, would you please prepare for the taking of your vows?"

The two nodded and looked into each others' eyes.

"Will you, Kuchiki Byakuya, take King Aizen to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward? Will you love honor and protect him without fail? For richer of for poorer, in sickness and in health, will you remain true to him for all of the days of your lives?"

"I will," Byakuya said softly.

"And will you, King Aizen, take Kuchiki Byakuya to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward? Will you love, honor and protect him without fail? For richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, will you remain true to him for all of the days of your lives?"

Aizen smiled.

"I will."

Nori took a length of fine silk and gently bound their hands together, then laid his hand over theirs.

"With this ceremony, we recognize the will of these two souls to be bound together. We celebrate with them, the love that has brought them together and vow to give our love and support to them in their marriage from this day forward. I invite them now to share a kiss as a token of their love."

One eye carefully watching the gallery, Aizen leaned forward and offered the noble a long, lingering kiss.

"Congratulations," Nori said, nodding.

Aizen and Byakuya turned slightly and faced the gallery.

"I present to you his royal majesty, King Aizen Sousuke, and his majesty's royal consort, Lord Kuchiki Byakuya!"

The room was filled again with clapping and cheers as king and consort led the way out of the throne room and into the banquet hall.

"Byakuya," Aizen said quietly, pausing in the hallway, "It would be best if we do not make too great of an issue of your loss of memory, just now. Allow me to speak for you unless you feel comfortable answering, and try not to act startled if people expect you to know them. I will guide you as best I can. I promise you, I will find a way to restore your memory, but it is best if as few people as possible know about it, or some might take advantage."

"I understand," Byakuya responded softly as they continued down the hallway.

Neither saw the dark, angry eyes that peeked out from behind an opened door or the slow, wicked smile that spread across the man's face.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke waited in his room by the open doors to the balcony that overlooked the King's Garden. He couldn't help but smile at having reached such a thing as being king, although he had reached it in a completely unexpected way. And along that way, he had done something he had promised himself that he never would.

Aizen Sousuke had fallen in love.

And while it saddened him that Byakuya had not yet regained his senses, he marveled at how well the noble was handling the loss. He was more quiet and docile, but he was completely devoted to Aizen and when danger had threatened, he had held back on purpose to allow Byakuya to express his willingness and ability to protect his king. And Byakuya had risen to the task admirably. He had been relieved to see that Senbonzakura had returned, even though he could sense that Byakuya could not yet use the sword's releases. The connection between the two would only be reawakened when Byakuya regained his memory. But the very fact that the zanpakutou had returned suggested that it was at least a possibility. And after the consummation of their marriage, he planned to devote himself to that task.

The door opened and Aizen turned as Byakuya was escorted in and left waiting, just inside. Smiling at the beautiful sight of the noble standing, dressed in a silken white yukata, his long hair freed of the kenseiken and fluttering slightly with the breeze that came in through the open balcony doors, Aizen crossed the room and met him there, offering him a very chaste kiss of greeting, before taking his hand and walking with him to their bed. He stopped beside it and wrapped his arms around the noble, kissing him again and gazing deeply into the lovely gray eyes.

"I will not make you pregnant yet," he said quietly, "I think that we should wait until your memory has been fully restored and you are in the best health for such a thing."

Byakuya nodded in acknowledgment, but didn't answer. He waited and looked into his new spouse's eyes expectantly.

Aizen noted the uncertainty in the noble's expression and smiled again, disarmingly.

"Would you like a cup of tea…or something stronger, perhaps?" he asked.

Byakuya shook his head and climbed onto the bed. Aizen followed and the two knelt, facing each other as the king reached over and turned out the light. Moonlight coming in through the balcony doors cast a pretty glow onto their skin, giving them an ethereal look that Aizen found enchanting. He pulled Byakuya onto his lap, sighing contentedly as the noble's legs wrapped around him and their thickening members rubbed lightly against each other.

A blush that Aizen could see, even in the darkness, rose onto Byakuya's cheeks and throat and he quivered softly as Aizen's hands opened their yukatas and began to caress the skin of his back and bottom.

"It is unusual to see you so uncomfortable, having been down this path before," the king commented, "Try to relax. We'll move slowly."

"I am fine, my lord," the noble said softly, "Do as you will."

Aizen sank into the pretty mouth, exploring every inch with a gentle, but penetrating tongue. He brushed his lips up the curve of his jaw and teased a soft earlobe, then planted hot, wet kisses all along the length of his long, graceful neck. He couldn't quite stop himself from moaning hungrily as Byakuya's fingers slipped into his hair and the noble's hips moved, rubbing their hardened cocks together. He wrapped a hand around their swollen members and stroked them slowly as his mouth returned to the noble's and fed him hard, biting kisses. Within moments, both men were panting softly and slightly misted with sweat from their arousal.

Aizen's' hands slid down the noble's back, pulling his hips closer, then curved around his bottom and gradually worked their way towards his entrance. Byakuya winced at the intrusion of the first finger, but buried his face in his lover's shoulder and made his body relax.

"That's right," Aizen said softly, "This is the first time you have been with me in this new body, so it will be a little uncomfortable. Just relax and let your body adjust."

The noble's body seemed to calm after a while, but tensed again as a second finger joined the first, sliding in and out of him, stretching and probing deeply. Aizen's fingers hooked and he pushed into the pleasure center inside his lover, making Byakuya gasp and stiffen, but allowing him to add a third finger without the noble registering the pain. He returned to Byakuya's mouth for several more hot, wet kisses, then pulled away to look into his eyes.

Byakuya looked back at him warmly, but still with uncertainty. And he couldn't, he decided, make love to him, looking into that vulnerable expression. It was too unlike the person he remembered. It certainly wasn't Byakuya's fault, and it was in no way a sign of not wanting him, but it left him feeling oddly wrong about their lovemaking. So with gentle hands, he turned the noble onto his stomach and pushed his thighs open wide. He held onto the slender, white hips and entered carefully, then laid his body against the noble's back and waited for Byakuya's body to calm as it adjusted to being penetrated. The noble shivered once or twice, then seemed to settle. Aizen pulled the hair away from the back of his neck and attacked the sensitive flesh there, then began thrusting in and out of him at a slow, steady pace. Byakuya caught his breath and shifted slightly, then his hips rose and he moved to meet each of his lover's thrusts as they increased in speed and strength.

Aizen ran his fingernails down the noble's side, making his back arch and changing the angle of the thrusts. He struck the pleasure center inside Byakuya several times in quick succession, dragging harsh, moaning cries from his lips as his body seized and hot seed pulsed out of him. He collapsed beneath Aizen as the king thrust in deeply and emptied himself into the noble's shaking body. He rested on Byakuya's back, still entrenched inside the noble, kissing neck, shoulder and cheek and caressing his body lightly to relax him.

He was completely unprepared for the words he heard next.

"Sousuke, I've…disappointed you somehow, haven't I?"

He lifted himself and pulled Byakuya onto his lap again, kissed the noble's frowning lips and brushed the hair away from his eyes.

"You will never be a disappointment to me," he said firmly, "So don't think that way."

"But, you seem to expect things…reactions that I don't have. I want to remember, so that I can give you what you want, but, Sousuke, what if I never remember? What if I am always like this? I mean, as long as you believe I'll regain my memory and be myself again, it's fine, but what happens if…"

"Stop," the king said sternly, "and listen to me. If you never give up, then you will not fail. You will remember. And even if you didn't, I would still love you. I'm not going to stop loving you because you died for me and came back a bit different. But let's stop this useless worry. We have all of the time we need now. Sleep for a bit. Let this go."

But even as he settled against his lover's shoulder and drifted towards sleep, Byakuya continued to feel uncertain.

_What if I never remember?_

_What if I can't satisfy him?_

_What if I disappoint him?_

_What then?_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Know Thyself**

**(Sorry this one's a little shorter, but my muse is being bitchy and uncooperative. I will give her a smack if she doesn't shape up!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_I have no reflection. I gaze into the mirror and see only what stands in the background. Even though your words describe me in full detail, I wonder if I ever really existed at all…or if I was just a shadow._**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"So," said Grimmjow, gazing at Nel as she straightened her kimono, then turned to look at him, "I heard the king gave you an assignment."

Nel nodded.

"He asked me to go back and to bring Dondachakka and Pesche so that they can be rewarded for their part in protecting Byakuya-sama"

"Byakuya…'sama' now?"

Nel shrugged.

"He is royal consort."

"Right."

Grimmjow frowned and looked down off of the balcony where they stood and into the King's Garden, where Byakuya sat in the distance under a sakura tree, gazing off into the distance.

"He ordered Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji to go as well, ne?"

Again, Nel gave an affirmative.

"Is something wrong with that?" Nel asked, "Dondachakka and Pesche are my fraccion, and they did help…"

"Yeah, I know," Grimmjow acknowledged, "But I don't think that's all there is to it."

"What do you mean?" Nel asked.

"Well," said the former Espada, "I noticed that Aizen kept everyone away from Byakuya as much as possible. I mean, he let us talk to him and let Rukia close during the reception, but no one really is able to get close to him since."

Nel nodded.

"Byakuya-sama is not the same. Aizen-sama may have revived him, but something is wrong. I think he protects Byakuya-sama while he tries to decide what to do."

"And this mission is to get the guy's sister away from here."

"Perhaps," said Nel, "but it is understandable that Aizen-sama would protect Byakuya-sama while he heals."

"He's a weakness that others could use is what you mean, ne?"

"Aizen-sama is a new king with many enemies. It makes sense that he would want to conceal any vulnerability. I do not think that any of us really know what went on inside him when Byakuya-sama died. But we know how hard he worked to restore him."

"Yeah…he never trusts anyone enough to let them know what he's really thinking. He's used to living among people who want to stab him in the back," Grimmjow agreed, "But I think that he is beginning to trust Byakuya. And if his enemies get wise to that, they might find a way to use it."

"You should try to get closer to Byakuya-sama to help protect him. I will help when I get back."

"Yeah, right," Grimmjow said distractedly, his eye straying back to Byakuya again, "Good idea."

A slow smile crawled into Nel's face as she prepared to leave.

"Grimmjow," she said, nudging him, "You should ask Ichigo to help you watch over Byakuya-sama. He's very strong and he is Rukia and Byakuya-sama's friend. I'm sure he will be willing to help."

Grimmjow bit back an unbidden smile.

"Shut up, Nel. Get out of here, will you? I'm trying to focus."

Nel giggled and flash stepped away. Grimmjow remained on the balcony, watching Byakuya sit beneath the tree, and wondering what to do next. A moment later, someone tapped on his bedroom door.

"Come in," he said absently, "Is that you, Nel? What? Did you forget…"

He trailed off as Ichigo entered the room and joined him on the balcony.

"Ah…Ichigo," he said, fixing his eyes on the youth and suddenly not knowing what to say, "What brings you?"

Ichigo followed his eyes down to where Byakuya sat beneath the sakura tree.

"Probably the same thing you're thinking about," Ichigo said, nodding in the noble's direction, "I heard Aizen was sending Rukia and Renji off on some assignment. I was thinking it seemed like something was up."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Grimmjow admitted, "Nel thinks that Aizen's protecting Byakuya. She says something's up with him, that he wasn't himself."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, "I think we all noticed something was off with him, but at first we wrote it off as him maybe being in shock at being brought back. It made sense at the time, but ever since, Aizen has really kept him isolated."

Grimmjow took a breath and loosed a suggestion without really thinking it through.

"Well, maybe you and I should take advantage of the moment and get a little closer, ne?"

He realized what he'd said and backpedaled quickly.

"I mean, we should slip down into the garden and see what those two are hiding," he added.

He could feel himself blushing as Ichigo smiled at him and nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea," the youth said, moving to the edge of the balcony and flash stepping down into the King's Garden.

Grimmjow shook his head, rolled his eyes and followed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke slipped out of the throne room and into the gardens, turning in the direction of Byakuya's weak reiatsu. He sighed softly, feeling his concern increase at the fact that Byakuya's reiatsu seemed to be growing weaker and less stable instead of strengthening. There was much more, he imagined, to the process of resurrection than he had imagined. But he wondered what more it would take.

"Aizen-sama," said Ginrei from behind him.

The king turned and nodded in greeting.

"Were you going to see Byakuya?" he asked.

"I was hoping to," the Royal Guard taichou said, looking out in the direction of his grandson's reiatsu, "He seemed unwell at the reception. I was hoping to check in with him."

"Hmmm," Aizen said quietly, "I was considering seeking you out."

"The resurrection didn't go well, did it?" Ginrei inquired, "Byakuya, as I said, seemed unwell…or at least, uncertain."

"Of course you would notice," Aizen acknowledged, "Perhaps you can help?"

"Perhaps," Ginrei said, "What is wrong?"

Aizen glanced in the direction where he sensed Byakuya.

"He does not remember his prior life," Aizen admitted, "I think you were correct when you said that the reiatsu that I recovered from Senbonzakura was not enough. I was wondering if you could think of anything that would strengthen his reiatsu. I am concerned that it is not simply weak, but that it is in a state of decline."

Ginrei thought for several long minutes.

"I know of one place where Byakuya's reiatsu could be found," he said finally, "But Byakuya, himself, would have to retrieve it."

"Where is that? The Kuchiki family archive at the manor?" asked Aizen.

Ginrei raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, you know of it."

"I was concealed there while Byakuya and I eluded pursuit and searched for information about Tenrai Tezawari. But what is there?"

"The clan leader diaries," said the Royal Guard taichou, "Byakuya's diary is infused with his reiatsu. There may be enough to stabilize his. And in addition, his entire life story is there. Perhaps if he reads it, he will remember more. But, be warned. If he does not remember, it may be a shock to him to learn about himself and his association with you. Although things are apparently better between you now, I imagine that the mission to bring you here was filled with difficulty. You would likely want to be with him as he reads, so that you can explain things when he has questions."

Ginrei sighed and shook his head.

"Do not tell me, 'I told you so,'" Aizen said, frowning, "I can feel that you want to say it, ne? And perhaps I was impulsive in my efforts."

"You love my grandson," Ginrei said quietly, "That much is evident. But I did warn you that what you were doing was reckless."

He paused for a moment, then went on.

"Still, I would be lying if I told you that I was not pleased that you were trying. I know I argued the point, but I was secretly glad that you did not listen to me."

"I knew it was duty that guided your words and not love," Aizen said, nodding.

Ginrei's lips tightened for a moment, then relaxed slightly.

"Byakuya left an imprint on the hearts of many people…and though he may have forgotten us and even himself, those of us who know and love him will never forget him…whatever happens."

Aizen loosed a sigh and nodded again.

"Arigato, Ginrei-dono. You have given me much to think about."

The old man, nodded, bowed and took his leave of Aizen. The king walked slowly out into the gardens, letting Ginrei's words replay themselves in his mind. He made his way towards Byakuya, letting his thoughts play over all that had happened. He was glad that Ginrei had been able to offer a suggestion, but knew that he was right about the importance of having someone there to mitigate Byakuya's reading of the text. Their association was complicated enough when considered with a complete memory. The events without the full memory would be confusing and likely painful for Byakuya.

"Sousuke," said Byakuya, looking up at him as he stepped out of the trees and moved to join his consort.

He sat down next to Byakuya, feeling a touch of alarm and the soft tremor in his reiatsu and the paler than usual skin.

"Byakuya, are you feeling all right?" he asked quickly.

"I do feel weary," the noble admitted, "and that feeling of weariness is not abated by sleeping."

Aizen nodded.

"Your reiatsu is weakening. If we do not find a way to strengthen it, you will fade away."

Byakuya's eyes fastened on his.

"Does that frighten you, Sousuke?" he asked softly.

"I will not allow you to die."

"You may have to accept my death, if nothing can be done. You know that."

"We are not out of options," the king said, slipping an arm around his consort, "Your grandfather suggested that more of your reiatsu will be present in your personal diary within the archive at Kuchiki Manor. If you go there and retrieve the diary, we can use that reiatsu to strengthen you, and we can perhaps help with your memory loss as well. I want you to go to Kuchiki Manor. Only you can enter the archive and retrieve it."

"Will you be going with me?" the noble asked.

"Byakuya, I wish that I could," Aizen said quietly, "but I know you are aware that although I have been made king, I have many enemies who are working to loosen my hold on the crown. I cannot leave. But I will not want you to go alone."

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

"The question of who to send with you is difficult. We have the Royal Guard…Ginrei…but, I do not entirely trust the Royal Guard. There are those among them who are not truly with me and would take advantage. And I cannot send your grandfather with you. I need his support here. I shall have to give the matter some thought…"

"Grimmjow," Byakuya suggested.

"Grimmjow?" repeated Aizen, considering, "He did protect you before, but I'm not sure that his motivation was purely for your protection, but rather to protect himself. Still, he did remain with you to the end."

The two fell silent for several long minutes.

"I would send you with Abarai," Aizen said finally, "but he is with your sister on a mission. And I think I would not like to send you with Grimmjow alone. Not that I think he is not trustworthy, but…"

He left the comment hanging.

"Ichigo," he said, after a moment of hesitation, "He is powerful and he is a friend, ne? You should be fine traveling with them. But I will ask one important thing of you, watashi no koi. Do not read the diary until you return to me with it. Not that I do not trust in your reaction, but there is much that bears explaining."

Byakuya smiled fleetingly.

"I had already gathered that you and I have a very complex association, Sousuke," he said, leaning into the other's embrace.

"Yes, we do at that," admitted Aizen, turning and bringing his lips to his consort's.

The softness and willingness of Byakuya's mouth had the king's loins aching almost immediately. He indulged in several long, deep kisses, then smiled at the noble.

"You have made me hungry for you," he said, letting his fingers run through his lover's long, black hair, "If you would not mind, I would like to indulge in you a bit before you leave for Kuchiki Manor."

Byakuya smiled briefly, nodded and started to rise. As he gained his feet and began to take a step, his face went even more pale and he swayed unsteadily. The king caught him as he started to slide back to the ground.

"Byakuya?"

The noble blinked and tried to focus on him as Aizen lifted him and started back towards the palace.

"Your reiatsu is destabilizing again."

He carried the dazed noble to the healing pool, undressed the two of them and carried Byakuya into the water. He sat down, holding Byakuya against him and drawing power from the pool to bolster the noble's reiatsu.

"I expected that your reiatsu would be difficult to maintain," he admitted, "I did not have much to work with when I remade you. But once we have the diary, I should be able to complete your reiatsu and end this weakening. I would keep you here and go myself, but only you can enter the archive…you and whoever you take inside with you."

"I will be all right," Byakuya said, lifting himself and leaning against Aizen's shoulder, "This is helping."

"Good," said Aizen in a relieved tone, "It is only a temporary fix, however. It will sustain you for a time, but to make a full recovery, you will need your reiatsu completed."

He fell silent, holding Byakuya's bared body against his.

"Sousuke," Byakuya said, looking up into his king's brown eyes, "I will not leave you. I promise."

Aizen smiled at him.

"And I will not let you go."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Going Home**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**I have walked for so long on a twisting, winding trail…over tall mountains and below the ground, where the sun could not see me. Having reached the end of my journey, and with the sting of battle still on my flesh, you look into my weary eyes, kiss my parched lips and turn me now in the direction of a home I have forgotten…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Morning sunshine and a cool, gentle breeze entered through the balcony doors and fell across Aizen Sousuke's bed, making the long ends of his consort's tumbled hair flutter, tickling the new king's skin and teasing him with the pleasant scent of sakura. He buried his face deeper in the silken, black swirls and let his hands lazily explore the sleeping noble's bare body. Byakuya stirred and opened his eyes for a moment, then settled against the king and closed them again.

"What's this?" Aizen said, a thin edge of concern in his voice, "I thought that you were an early riser, Byakuya. In fact, there's hardly been a day I've known you when you weren't up before the sun. Are you feeling ill?"

"Do not worry, my lord," Byakuya sighed sleepily, "I am merely content where I am and have nothing pressing to attend to. With the coronation and our marriage seen to and the return of the Gotei 13 squads and noble leaders to the Seireitei, I am left with only the one duty you have assigned me…to return to Kuchiki Manor to retrieve my diary. And I am not due to meet Grimmjow and Ichigo for…"

"I will assign you another important duty, if you wish," Aizen said, smiling and sinking his fingers into the noble's hair, "…something you may attend to without leaving our bed, ne?"

"As you wish, my lord," Byakuya said, his expression perfectly serious.

"Byakuya," the king said, looking into the dark, intelligent eyes, "I have told you already. I do not want you to call me that. It is Sousuke."

"In private, perhaps," Byakuya replied, blinking.

Aizen looked around the room.

"Are we not private here? How much more private need we be for you to call me by my name?"

"My apologies, Sousuke," the noble said, shifting to allow the king's roaming hands better access to his warm, awakening genitals.

The two were silent for several minutes as the noble lay quietly and watched Aizen's fingers stroke the thickening shaft and blushing head of his erection. As the king's fingers moved downward and slowly prepared him, Byakuya met his eyes questioningly and Aizen paused.

"May I ask you something?" Byakuya queried softly.

His lover's brown eyes blinked slowly and he nodded briefly.

"I feel it again…that you expect something other than the responses I am giving you. Sousuke, I am here to please you. But you never ask anything of me. Yet when you take me, I see disappointment in your eyes. I feel it in your body. Why do you never tell me what to do to please you? Is that not why I am here?"

Aizen sat up and Byakuya rose with him. The king gazed into the dark, somber eyes, frowning.

"Is that what you think?" he asked quietly, "That you are merely here as another servant? That you have no better purpose than to decorate my bed and pleasure my body, Byakuya? Where is your pride?"

The noble shook his head.

"What is left to take pride in?" he whispered, "I remember nothing…only from that moment of awakening in the gardens. I looked up at you, and I wondered why you made me. I could see that you wanted someone very specific, that every detail mattered to you. I felt the pride you took in making me. But all I have seen since then is how I disappoint you…how I fall short of the one you wanted. You say we are soul bonded, but your heart is carefully concealed from me. You say that I am Kuchiki Byakuya, Royal Consort and clan leader, but I feel little connection to either. I am as of yet, without my powers. Truly, I have nothing but this body you made to offer you."

"Byakuya," Aizen said firmly, "I told you that I was not the one who created you. I may have remade your body and bound your reiatsu to it, but I am not your creator, nor are you required to serve me, sexually or otherwise. I asked you if you wanted to marry me, and you said that you did. I asked if you wanted to make love with me, and you agreed to that also…"

"You did not ask me what I desire," Byakuya responded softly, "You merely asked if I had any objection. And as I viewed you, right or wrong, as my creator…and my king, I saw it as my duty to serve you."

"Are you saying that you feel nothing for me?" Aizen asked, tension in his voice.

"No," Byakuya whispered, lowering his eyes, "I am saying that I have feelings for you, but I do not understand their origin or their depth. That makes my answers to those questions uncertain. I did my best to answer honestly, but in truth, I am unclear in what my feelings mean. I am sorry, Sousuke. I know you want me back the way I was…"

Aizen wrapped his arms around Byakuya and brought the noble's head to rest on his shoulder.

"You must stop thinking this way," he said quietly, "You are leaving soon for Kuchiki Manor, and when you return with the diary, I will complete your restoration. Until then, put all of this out of your mind. Focus only on your mission."

He reached over beside the bed and picked up Byakuya's sheathed zanpakutou.

"You have already served me more faithfully and capably than anyone else. Do not forget that."

He handed the weapon to the noble, who set it in front of him on the bed and gazed down at it with a lost expression.

"Go now," said the king, touching his face lightly, "Find what you are searching for, and return to me soon, watashi no koi. I will be here, waiting for you."

Byakuya gave him a tenuous smile.

"I will try not to keep you waiting long, my…"

Aizen leaned forward and stopped his words with a deep, passionate kiss.

"Sousuke," the king whispered.

"Sousuke," repeated Byakuya, his hands tightening on his lover's arms.

He looked down at his grasping hands for a moment and slowly relaxed them, then rose and dressed. Minutes later, returned to the bedroom to find Aizen gone. He sensed the king's reiatsu in the garden and stepped out onto the balcony. Aizen stood beside the healing pool, with his back to Byakuya.

"Goodbye, Sousuke," he whispered, "I will do my best to come back to you."

He returned to the bedroom and spotted Senbonzakura still sitting on their bed. He stared at the sheathed blade for a moment, then turned towards the door and walked away, leaving the weapon behind.

Some time later, Aizen flash stepped up to the balcony and stepped back inside the room. He breathed in the fading scent of sakura and gazed quietly down at Senbonzakura for several long minutes. Sighing softly, he picked up the blade and carefully set it in the stand with Kyouka Suigetsu.

"Take your next steps carefully, watashi no koi. Come back to me soon," he said quietly, "Aishiteru yo, Byakuya."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, are you going to tell us any more about what we're doing?" asked Grimmjow, following as Byakuya led them to the crossover point.

"Didn't you gather enough from eavesdropping on us in the gardens yesterday?" asked the noble.

"Hey, how did you…" Ichigo began.

"You were quite obvious," stated Byakuya, continuing to move forward, "and my reasons for returning to the Seireitei are private. If I wanted you to know, then I would tell you."

"Sheesh, you don't have to bite my head off," commented Ichigo, "I just thought it would be good for us to know if we should expect trouble."

"If trouble was not expected, then Aizen-sama would not have required your presence," the noble said, gazing off into the distance.

"It would be helpful to know what to look out for," Grimmjow suggested, glancing at Ichigo, "How do we know what to consider a threat?"

"If it tries to kill you, then it is a threat," Byakuya said dryly.

Ichigo shook his head and rolled his eyes. The two fell back behind the noble, but watched the area around him carefully.

"Kami," Ichigo muttered under his breath, "He's always been kinda annoying, but he's worse than usual today."

"He's definitely not like he was in Hueco mundo," noted Grimmjow, "He was always pretty guarded, but he seemed a little more…I don't know…vulnerable, I guess."

"You call that vulnerable? That guy never really shows you what he's thinking. He's really closed off."

"He opened up a bit when he was with Nel and me. I think it helped him to know that not everyone wanted to kill him for helping Aizen. He treated us more like friends…comrades at least. Right now, he's acting like he barely knows us."

Ichigo nodded.

"I was thinking that too."

"It makes me think that something went wrong."

"Come again?"

"Pay attention, Ichigo. We all figured out that Aizen somehow brought him back. We all felt his death, but we also all saw him come out of nowhere that day in the throne room. Aizen has kept Kuchiki Ginrei very close to him. And he has barely let Byakuya out of his sight. He sent Renji and Rukia, the two people who probably know him best, on a mission. And I could see his reluctance in leaving Byakuya to us…and it wasn't just because he didn't have confidence in our ability to protect the guy. Add to that, the way Byakuya's acting. He's saying as little as possible. It all makes me think that something went wrong when Aizen somehow brought him back from death."

"Huh," mused Ichigo, looking up at Byakuya's back, "I'd feel sorry for the guy if he wasn't being such a prick. But that part is normal…"

"It's a defense," said Grimmjow, frowning, "If he pisses you off, then you'll get mad and leave him alone."

"Well, if he's that determined to shove everyone away, then let him be alone," the ginger-haired youth muttered.

"If you think everyone despises you, then one way to protect yourself is to push others away, so that at least it seems like you have some control," suggested Grimmjow, his lips tightening, "I should know…"

Ichigo let out a soft breath and turned his head to observe the former Espada.

"What are you looking at?" Grimmjow growled softly.

"I don't know," Ichigo said quietly, "You just seem…different, Grimmjow."

"Yeah?" answered the former Espada with a sarcastic edge to his voice, "I'm a fucking shinigami now. I actually have a life…or something like that."

"Yeah, about that," Ichigo went on, changing the subject, "Have you released your zanpakutou yet? Have you talked to the spirit in it?"

"Yoruichi-san worked with me a little," Grimmjow admitted, "She thought Aizen was kind of a jackass for changing me back without even giving me a clue what to do after that. I mean, it's not like I remember before."

"You were a shinigami?" asked Ichigo.

"Yeah," said the former hollow, nodding, "What? Did you think I was always a hollow? Hollows come from somewhere, Ichigo. I was a shinigami…not that I know anything about it, but Yoruichi sensed it in my zanpakutou. Could have been anytime in the past. Any time before I showed up in Hueco Mundo. I could have been anyone…"

"I doubt that," Ichigo said, smiling, "You're pretty original, Grimmjow."

The former Espada almost smiled.

"Huh," he huffed, looking away.

They stopped talking as they reached the crossover point and entered the Seireitei. Ichigo noticed a sudden tension in both Byakuya and Grimmjow. And when he thought about it, it made sense. Grimmjow had been an enemy, and he still looked much the same, except for the lack of a mask and the presence of a shihakushou. He could find trouble with relative ease if he wanted to. And Byakuya had been branded a traitor. Despite the fact that the story behind Aizen's royal status had been made public, the new king had made a lot of enemies…enemies who didn't give a damn what the reasons behind his behavior were. Add to that, that Aizen still acted much the same, ferreting out the ones who might turn on him and eliminating them before they could move against him…keeping a large number of secrets…manipulating the people around him. He did seem to have developed more of a conscience since facing Diablo, but he was still the same ruthless person.

They passed through the military checkpoint and crossed over into the Seireitei, touching down where Byakuya had been surrounded before. There were still a lot of personnel in the area, and the dimension wall was heavily guarded…which made sense, considering the dark feelings some still harbored about Aizen.

Byakuya continued to walk on, ignoring the people he passed and moving steadfastly towards his destination. Ichigo and Grimmjow followed, feeling a growing tension as they passed more shinigamis, and more of them recognized the noble. The ones who spoke to Byakuya were friendly enough, but the noble's bodyguards didn't miss the soft sounds of malcontent in the ones who avoided them.

"I'm really not liking this…" commented Grimmjow, his senses prickling.

"Yeah, me either," replied Ichigo, moving closer to the former Espada "But we're almost there. And no one will mess with us while we're at the manor. That place is crawling with guards."

"I hope so," said Grimmjow, "because I haven't felt hatred this strong since I left Hueco Mundo. Some of these people are still really pissed off."

"Aizen has his work cut out for him, that's for sure," agreed Ichigo, "He may have to change his approach if he wants to stay king…unless he wants to just kill off half the population of the three worlds!"

"Nah," chuckled Grimmjow, "He doesn't need to kill the weaklings. He'll just scare the shit out of them to keep them in line. He'll only trifle himself with the really powerful ones."

"Sounds kind of lonely," Ichigo said, remembering his brief connection with Kyouka Suigetsu before Aizen's capture.

"You feeling sorry for him?" asked Grimmjow, smirking, "Don't. He can take care of himself. And he's not so lonely since he soul bonded with Byakuya. The guy may be a prick to everyone else, but the two of them are tight. That's why Aizen's protecting him so closely. I think that's why he didn't just let Byakuya stay dead. He seems determined to keep him alive and close."

"Huh," mused Ichigo, "I guess he's really in love."

"Yeah," agreed Grimmjow, "Or obsession."

They stopped talking as Kuchiki Manor loomed up before them and they paused to speak to the guards, before passing inside. Byakuya led them down several walkways, then inside and to a locked door.

"Wait here," Byakuya told them, "I will return shortly."

"Aizen told us to stay with you," said Grimmjow, narrowing his eyes, "We aren't supposed to leave you alone."

"I am safe within the archive," Byakuya said firmly, "Stay here."

"Fine. Whatever," said Ichigo, shaking his head, "Just don't take all day. I'm getting hungry."

"The staff will prepare a meal for you, then," Byakuya said, nodding to an attendant, who Grimmjow and Ichigo hadn't noticed following them, "Go out that door and wait in the gardens. I will meet you there."

Grimmjow's lips tightened in protest, but he huffed out a breath and shook his head, then turned and followed Ichigo out to the gardens.

"Wonder what he's going to do in there…" Ichigo said as they entered the gardens.

"I don't know," said Grimmjow, but something tells me that the trip back won't be as easy as the one coming here."

"I guess we think alike," said Ichigo, smiling at him, "because I was thinking the same thing…"


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Shadings of Truth**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**You offer me naked truth, but truth is only real when seen through the lens of experience. My heart has been emptied of what it once knew, and now the truth escapes me, even when it lies upon the page I read.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Thank you for coming," Fumio said, nodding to the two other ousted councilors who had arrived at his hiding place in the Seireitei, "I have been having some loyal to me watch Aizen's movements and the time has come for us to take action."

"How are we supposed to do that?" asked Hisoka, a quiet man with dark eyes and a reputation for being a devilish manipulator, "He is too powerful, having been made king."

"Well," said Fumio, "I have been at the books in the palace archive, and there is one way to 'unmake' and kill a tyrant king. It is meant to be used in case an evil usurper steals the throne, and I think we can agree that this is the situation we find ourselves in."

"So…how do we 'unmake' the king?" asked Rokuro, his green eyes flitting about nervously.

"We must gain the confidence of the royal consort."

"Kuchiki Byakuya?" asked Hisoka, "But…I have heard that he is not himself. He appears to have been left damaged, even having returned from death."

"Yes," agreed Fumio, "I have had my friends spy on Aizen and Byakuya, and I have surmised that what happened is that Aizen did not have enough reiatsu to fully restore Byakuya. If left as he is, the royal consort will fade away."

"So…you wish us to hasten that?" asked Rokuro.

"No," said Fumio, "I want to help stop it."

"But, why?" asked Hisoka, "He will only join Aizen against us!"

"No," said Fumio, drawing their confused eyes to himself, "We will allow Byakuya to retrieve his diary. Aizen plans to use this to restore him. But he does not realize the danger of what he is doing."

"And you do?" asked Hisoka.

"I have been master of the palace archive for many years. I know far more than Aizen suspects. And I know that he is making a critical error in Byakuya's restoration…and it is one we can exploit."

"How so?" asked Rokuro.

"Listen carefully. I will tell you. And you will see how vulnerable both the consort and king are right now! The first thing you must understand, is that although Byakuya will be able to obtain the diary, it will only complete the reiatsu. Just reading it will not restore his memory…and…when one encounters their inscribed memories without the benefit of hindsight, the impact can be staggering. In addition, he is sending Byakuya to a place that contains a goodly amount of reiatsu traces from his past. This will trigger flash memories that will further unbalance him. If we make sure that we are there, near him, with the right approach, we can shock him into turning against the king…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt a shift in the reiatsu around him as he passed through the door and into the Kuchiki family archive. It made him pause for a moment before reaching back to close the door. As his fingertips encountered the back side of the door, a sudden image flashed in his mind, startling him and making him freeze in place again.

_He opened the door to the archive and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. He wasn't surprised at all when he was grabbed and pushed back against the door, a hot mouth assaulting his face and throat as he sighed resignedly and closed his eyes._

_Does he have to be so ridiculously vulgar all of the time?_

_He relaxed against the wall, mentally tuning out the other as his yukata was opened and the man's hands hungrily explored his flesh._

"S-sousuke?" he said softly, his voice echoing slightly in the empty entry.

But the emotions had surprised him…his and Aizen's. Aizen's touches had been forceful and invasive, and Byakuya, himself had been resigned. He felt no love in either man, just aggressiveness and apathy.

He took a breath and shook his head, then moved forward into the archive. He again felt residual reiatsu in the area and touched his fingertips to a section of books that he sensed he had touched before.

_"As you have lowered yourself so graciously to being whored to protect the king, I would feel like I would be slapping you in the face to just refuse you. And we are already bonded…so…I will stay with you…for now. Does this please you, Byakuya?"_

_"It sickens me," the noble said, turning into the first section of the archive._

_A moment later, he was brought down onto the floor on his stomach, with Aizen perched on his back, holding him down. He leaned close, his hot breath teasing the noble's ear as he spoke._

_"It may sicken you…" he hissed softly, "but you are in no position to proceed without me. Your own reticence about what you are doing betrays that, Byakuya. The situation is desperate, or you would never have freed me. So…if you want me to cooperate, then you will do as I say."_

_Byakuya's body shivered with rage and indignation beneath his hands. A heavy twinge of arousal moved through Aizen as he studied the noble's flustered expression and felt the tension in his restrained form. He smiled more wickedly and licked the shell of Byakuya's ear._

_"I want you," he breathed._

_Byakuya caught his breath, a flush spreading across his features._

_"Get off of me!" he snapped furiously._

_"No…" the rogue shinigami said, kissing the blushing skin of Byakuya's throat, "I think it fair that while we have the chance…and are not yet being pursued…that I be allowed to enjoy the carrot that the spirit king has placed in front of me. It makes sense, you see. I am taking a risk. If we are not successful, I will still be free, but I will not have you to warm my bed. I at least deserve to enjoy you as our mission allows…"_

_"We must find the information for our journey quickly, before the secret mobile corps…"_

_"Then you had best get about satisfying me, Byakuya."_

_The look the noble gave him was deadly. His eyes flared hotly and his reiatsu made the room quake. With an effort, he tore free of Aizen._

_"I will find the information myself," he snapped, turning away._

_Before he could take a step, he found himself pinned between Aizen's body and the nearest bookshelf. His chest heaved softly and he struggled against the hands that held him as Aizen smiled and went on._

_"I don't think so," he whispered in Byakuya's ear, "Now…I assume there is a bed in here somewhere…for nights when you are working in the archive and don't wish to leave? Show me…"_

_He stepped away, waiting as Byakuya staggered for a moment, then straightened and glared at him._

_"Do you want my help…or do you want me to leave you now?" Aizen asked._

_He chuckled at tremor of rage that passed visibly through the noble's stiffened form._

_"Bastard…" the noble hissed furiously._

"I don't understand…" the noble whispered into the darkness around him, "Is this…a memory?"

He shivered softly at the burn that the images had left on his flesh where Aizen had touched and kissed him. It didn't seem possible that it could have really happened that way. The Aizen he knew had never used force with him. He could be cold to those who, like the rogue councilors he had heard Aizen had expelled, were likely to betray him. But with Byakuya, he had always been gentle in words, touches and in their lovemaking.

"He said that I whored myself for the spirit king?" the noble whispered, "but…the old king died and Sousuke is the rightful king now. Why…?"

He took a breath and stopped himself.

_He told me to wait and to return with the diary unread. He promised to explain,_ Byakuya told himself, _I must trust him._

With an effort, he forced himself to continue walking. He located the diaries with relative ease and pulled his from among them. As he did, he felt the swell of strong reiatsu around the tome. It wasn't surprising, of course that he had been a strong shinigami. All clan leaders were, but there was something reassuring about connecting however briefly with the person he had been. It made sense, he thought, that Aizen wanted that stronger shinigami back. So it was important to retrieve the diary for that reason.

Of course, it was a temptation to open and read it. He sensed there were dark things about himself that might be hard to accept. And that, he reasoned, was why Sousuke wanted to be there when he read it…so that he might mitigate the impact of what he learned about himself and his king.

He stood quietly, studying the closed diary for several long minutes before sliding it into his clothing and stepping away from the other diaries. He started back across the room, but encountered a sudden feeling of malaise that swept over him, leaving him feeling shaky and weak. He caught sight of what looked like a bedroom in the back of the archive and stumbled into it, his body shaking softly as he dropped down onto the bed. A heavy shock burst through him as another set of images assaulted his mind.

_"Now…" Aizen went on, "I want you to use that lovely mouth of yours for something other than insulting me."_

_"If you think I'm going to…"_

_"You will do that and more…but what I mean is…I want to hear you."_

_"You want to hear me?"_

_Aizen nodded and lowered the noble onto his back, parting his thighs and kissing his way down the slender white torso. The flush seemed to rise everywhere on Byakuya's skin as his anger returned._

_"No…I won't…" he objected._

_The rogue shinigami merely smiled at his refusal and moved down in between his thighs, kissing and nipping along the sensitive white flesh, then licking his way up to his genitals._

_"You are always so quiet, Byakuya. So much goes on inside that wonderfully intelligent mind, but you actually say very little. I want to hear more."_

_He took one side of the noble's soft sac in his mouth and smiled at the tremor it sent through the noble. He licked and sucked relentlessly around the area, enjoying the reaction it evoked, but wanting more. He moved down deeper and teased the noble's entrance with an insistent tongue, almost laughing at the hard intake of breath and stifled gasp it caused._

_"Don't be so stingy with your voice, Byakuya," he whispered, "Talk to me…breathe harder, so I can hear…moan…cry out…scream…"_

_"Shut up…" the noble panted, "I won't…"_

_He nearly moaned as the rogue shinigami's hot tongue found his length and slid from base to tip. Then, the soft lips wrapped around him and he couldn't hold back a gasp of pleasure at the sensation._

_"Lovely," whispered Aizen, kissing his inflamed cock._

_"Damn you…" hissed the noble, "I despise you…"_

_"Good," the other man answered, licking him again and watching as he bit his lips to avoid reacting, "I would find it rather boring if you gave in to me too easily…"_

_He sank down on the noble's flushed member again and sucked hard, moving with him as his hips rose off the bed and he moaned helplessly. He panted and cursed as the rogue shinigami's fingers prepared him, but didn't resist. Neither did he pull away when Aizen dragged him back onto his lap and pushed inside him. He simply parted his thighs and settled onto Aizen's thick, wet cock, groaning slightly as it penetrated him. He held onto the other man's shoulders and looked down into Aizen's expectant eyes._

_"You are beautiful, Byakuya," Aizen breathed, touching his face._

_He began thrusting, cutting off Byakuya's indignant reply and making him gasp and pant harshly. Aizen's hands wrapped around his hips, encouraging their rise and fall as the two shinigamis fell silent and thrust against each other. Aizen watched as a haze of pleasure fell over the gray eyes, leaving them beautifully misted. His breath left him in harsh, biting releases and he hadn't the cognizance left to avoid making noises. Sensing that Byakuya was close to climax, Aizen pulled away and turned the noble._

_"On your knees…" he panted._

_"No!"_

_He clenched the noble's hips, pushing forward and holding them high off the bed, thrusting in again as Byakuya tried to pull away. The noble froze, a hard cry escaping him as Aizen's cock found the bundle of nerves inside him and thrust into it. He stopped fighting as the other man's hand wrapped around his length and the strong hips pounded into him repeatedly, until he couldn't resist anymore and his voice rose up into gasping cries. Hot seed pulsed onto Aizen's stroking hand as the noble released a scream of pleasure and his body collapsed onto the bed. Aizen fell onto Byakuya's sweat misted back, thrusting in one last time and emptying himself with a groan of intense approval. He laid quietly against the noble's back, closing his eyes and catching his breath, enjoying as he did, the fast rise and fall of Byakuya's breathing and the pleasing scent of sakura._

_It took longer than he would have expected to gather himself and pull away, his cock leaving a wet trail as it left Byakuya's body and slid across the back of a pretty white thigh. He paused, noting that the noble remained facedown, with his head turned away and buried in the crook of an arm. He thought that perhaps Byakuya had fallen asleep, but then he heard a soft catching of breath. He slid a hand down the curve of the noble's slender back and touched his hair gently._

The images left him again and Byakuya found himself kneeling on the bed, gripping the bedding in clenched hands and shaking uncontrollably.

"Is this how it was with us?" he whispered in a trembling voice, "And he…enjoyed this?"

_"Damn you…" hissed the noble, "I despise you…"_

_"Good," the other man answered, licking him again and watching as he bit his lips to avoid reacting, "I would find it rather boring if you gave in to me too easily…"_

"This is…why I disappoint him? Because I do not resist? Because I love him? Because I am loyal to him and accept his orders without question? He _wants_ me to hate and resist him?"

A feeling of intense revulsion gripped his body from end to end, forcing a cry of agony from his lips. He felt the burn of his diary's reiatsu against his breast and staggered to his feet, running blindly for the door and throwing it open. He stumbled out into the garden as the door closed behind him and he leaned heavily against one of the posts along the walkway. His breath came out in short, heaving gasps and spots danced before his eyes. And for a long, insane moment, Kuchiki Byakuya could barely stand to remain within his own skin. A sob escaped him and he slid to his knees, darkness closing in around him. He was dimly aware of someone saying his name…of the sound of pounding feet along the walkway and the feel of strong hands catching him as he fell.

"What happened to him?" asked Ichigo, "What exactly went on in there?"

"I don't know," said Grimmjow gruffly, "but I think that he might have found out a little more than he wanted to know…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Your majesty," said Kuchiki Ginrei, "We have discovered and captured a group of rebels who our intelligence tells us were plotting to poison you. They are in the throne room, awaiting us."

The king rose from the place where he had been kneeling beneath a sakura tree and contemplating Byakuya's return, and he followed the Royal Guard taichou back into the throne room. Seven shinigamis stood chained together in front of his throne. Aizen sat down and studied them one by one.

"You wished to kill me?" he asked them.

The seven remained silent and stony eyed.

"Who is your leader?" Aizen asked calmly.

None of the men answered.

Aizen let his reiatsu swell warningly around them, watching as they began to sweat profusely and took heavy struggling breaths.

"Who is your leader?" he asked again, "Who put you up to killing me? Because I do not sense one among you who is intelligent and powerful enough to be the ringleader. So, tell me who the traitor is…and I will let you live."

The men shuddered under the weight of his reiatsu, making choked noises of agony as the pressure increased and slowly became unbearable.

"Who put you up to killing me?" Aizen asked again, "This is your last opportunity to tell me. Then, I will assume that you are useless and crush you under my heel. Tell me now."

One by one, the men fell to their knees, screaming and clenching their heads. The only exception was the shinigami on the far end who remained on his feet and descended into mad, cackling laughter.

"We can't tell you!" he exclaimed triumphantly, "because our minds were wiped of his identity! He walks free and he stalks you, traitor! You had best watch your back!"

"I see," Aizen said, approaching the men and intensifying the pressure until the last man fell, "I see that there is no use in speaking with you anymore. But let this be a lesson to you and any others who would try to kill me. _I will kill anyone who attacks me!_"

He raised his reiatsu to a lethal level and watched in silence as the men shrieked and writhed, then burst apart and dissipated into nothing. Then he quietly reined in his power and turned to Ginrei, who stood silently nearby, his face betraying no emotion.

"Come," Aizen said quietly, "It is time for dinner."

"Yes, my lord," Ginrei said, following him out of the throne room.

As they approached the banquet hall, Aizen slowed and observed the noble for a moment.

"You disapprove of my handling of that, ne?" he asked.

"While I understand your decision," Ginrei said, meeting his eyes, "I do wonder if you were a bit too hasty in killing them. With the proper approach, they might have yielded the name of their leader. We might have been able to overcome their programming."

"I am not concerned with the one who led them. I made an example of them. It will either scare the leader off, or I will simply kill him when he makes his move. If he could oppose me, he wouldn't have used these men in the attempt."

"Perhaps," Ginrei said, lowering his eyes.

"You disagree."

"It doesn't matter. My king has made his decision and seems to believe it was best."

"Yes," agreed Aizen, giving the noble a small smile, "You are wise to understand that."

The king continued walking into the banquet hall, and after a moment of hesitation, Ginrei followed.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: The Deception**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**_The words that spill from your lips are sweet and soothing. The tears they cause are cleansing and the pain inside is merely an indication of healing. You loose them over me, while regarding me with gentle eyes. But beneath your skin slithers cold truth and colder fate, both of which will shatter me when you are brought into the light and stand revealed…_**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"The council is ready for you, my lord," said Kuchiki Ginrei, indicating the door behind them with a solemn motion of his hand.

Aizen felt a soft pang as he was reminded of his absent consort. But he brushed off the thought. Despite the fact that Byakuya should have already returned and he longed to know the reason for his lateness, he had put off meeting with the council for too long. It was time, he thought, to begin the business of arranging things to his liking. There was likely to be some resistance to his thinking, but now crowned and with his enemies weeded out of the council, he felt assured of being able to effect some positive changes. Byakuya returned to his mind as he pondered his plans. Having been an inspiration for several of his ideas, he wished that his consort could be present and in possession of his memory, so as to fully embrace the love that had driven his thoughts towards these ends. But Byakuya would return soon, he told himself, and once he had been fully restored, he was sure the noble would be pleased.

"Presenting His Royal Majesty, King Aizen!" said the attendant at the door.

The council stood as the king and Royal Guard taichou entered the room and walked to the head of the table. Aizen nodded to the councilors in acknowledgment, then sat down. The council followed his lead and sat down as well.

"Thank you for joining me," Aizen said, running his eyes around the table and examining the gathered council, "I apologize for not attending to these matters sooner, but there were pressing matters that I needed to deal with first. In any case, it is time for me to outline my plans for the arrangement and development of my regime. Having been given my fathers' wisdom upon activation of the king's prism, I understand the reasoning behind the systems King Yoshiaki set in place, and for the most part, I intend to continue accordingly. But…there are several important changes that will be made."

He paused and took a soft breath.

"I appreciate and respect the strength of the Royal Guard, but because my regime is certain to be tested by those who do not wish to accept me as their king, I require a special detachment…a Hogosha, or group of king's protectors, loyal to me and who answer to the order of the Royal Consort, who shall be their taichou. I have outlined and given my list of suggested personnel to Royal Guard taichou, Kuchiki Ginrei to study, and he has approved the chosen officers."

"Gomen nasai," said Head Councilor Nori, "but it seems you have already made this change without the benefit of council. Are you sure that this is wise? Again, I apologize for my objection, but…King Aizen, why have a council if you do not intend to even seek their wisdom? How will we function at all if you simply do as you will without consulting us for our ideas?"

"I understand your concern, Head Councilor Nori," said Aizen, "but there seems to have been something too lax in my father's regime. The council was never intended to make policy, but to advise. I am stating an intention. It is not yet done, and you may offer objections freely as you wish. But if there are no objections, plans will simply move forward. After all, I do not require your approval. This remains a monarchy. Now, does anyone take issue with the establishment of a King's Hogosha, or the installment of Royal Consort, Kuchiki Byakuya as taichou of the King's Hogosha?"

"Sir," said Councilor Akira, "I do not wish to offend your consort or you, but it is well known that Kuchiki Byakuya has only recently returned out of death. Are you sure that his installment so soon afterwards is…appropriate? Some have expressed concerns about his reiatsu level and his mental capacities. Again, I do not wish to offend, but I feel I must ask."

"Carefully stated and an acceptable question, Councilor Akira," said Aizen, "And although it is true that Byakuya has only recently been returned to life and is in the final stages of his full restoration, building this force and organizing it will take time, and Byakuya will certainly be able to attend to the preparations during the last phase of his recovery. I will also personally oversee those preparations. I hope that eases your concerns."

"My lord," said Kuchiki Ginrei, "As the Royal Guard will sometimes be required to interact with and fight alongside your personal forces, I would suggest that there be inclusion of the Royal Guard and Norite taichous in the organization of the Hogosha. This way, the new forces and established ones will be clear about the delineations of their duties."

"An intelligent suggestion," noted Aizen, "and I agree. So, Kuchiki Ginrei and Saito Ryota will join with Kuchiki Byakuya and me in organizing the King's Hogosha. Are there any more objections or questions?"

He looked around the table.

"Very well. The next item is the organization of the shinigamis in the Seireitei. I take no issue with the current establishment, separating the Seireitei from the Rukongai, or the placement and giving of privileges to the noble clans to support my regime. The Gotei 13, as well, will continue unchanged. But there is a change I wish to make to the Central 46. This governing body has been charged with keeping the peace in Soul Society and enforcing the laws. When someone breaks the laws, it is this body that decides guilt or innocence and decides punishments. Up to this point, the Central 46 included only shinigamis of noble class. This was based on an older standard before institutions of learning became commonplace in the Rukongai, and the population of that region grew more educated. It is my intention to, first, charge the noble clans with sponsoring schools in areas of the Rukongai that lack them, and secondly, from this point forward, all peasant class offenders sent before the Central 46 will be judged by a group of judges of whom half are Central 46 councilors and half are peasant representative councilors. The peasant class councilors must be well educated but they will not be required to have shinigami powers. I wish these councilors to ensure a higher level of fairness in the council's decisions on peasant class capital trials. It is preposterous to think that a group of noble borns is going to properly represent the peasant class. They generally have no frame of reference for doing so."

He paused as a murmur went through the room.

"My lord," said Councilor Minoru, "Although certainly, I am sure that we all see the sense of such a thing, how are we to make the changes in leadership? We need to have a system for such a thing.

"Previously," said Aizen, "All councilors were appointed by the noble families, based on societal position. And the noble families may certainly continue to elect their own representatives. But now, each area of the Rukongai will elect a representative, and those representatives will provide a pool of councilors to serve in the Central 46. Regional leaders would oversee the election of their representatives."

"That does sound workable, my lord," said Councilor Akira, "however, it has always been understood that, in return for their service to the king, the noble families were given leadership over the peasant class. Does this not step on the toes of that understanding?"

Aizen rested his face on his palm and thought for several minutes.

"I think that we can solve that problem by making a head councilor to act as the deciding vote in all disputes. This Head Councilor shall be separate from the rest and chosen from the noble clans by royal directive. And I will choose the strongest leader of the noble clans to fill that position."

He was pleased at the nods of approval he was given in return.

"Well, then," the king went on, "I think we have enough to busy ourselves with in making these changes. I would like all of you to involve yourselves in these tasks to see them done as soon as possible."

He nodded to Head Councilor Nori.

"Council is dismissed," said Nori.

Ginrei and Ryota rose with Aizen and followed him out of the council chambers and into the King's Gardens.

"I think your ideas are bold and you test these councilors with your brash expectations," said Ginrei, "but the councilors, so far, seem willing to work with you."

"But I would suggest you proceed with caution," said Ryota, "as you still have enemies hidden among those close to you. It is a dangerous time for you, my lord."

"I understand," said Aizen, "but I must attend to other matters now. I am going to the Seireitei. Byakuya has not returned as expected and I wish to go there and see to his safe return."

"My lord," said Ginrei, "forgive me for disagreeing, but things are still tenuous here, and your absence so soon after taking control could invite unrest."

"Then, don't tell anyone I've gone."

"My lord, there are careful procedures in place for when you leave the spirit dimension. The extremes of your power must be mitigated while you are there," said Ryota, "and that makes you vulnerable. Remember, you no longer have the hougyoku fused with you. You are no longer immune to death, yourself. When you leave the spirit realm, you make yourself more vulnerable. It invites trouble at a time when you wish to avoid it."

"You sent two strong shinigamis with my grandson," said Ginrei, "May I suggest that his lordship allow those two to see to Byakuya's safety and that you free yourself to focus on keeping this council you have so carefully formed, together."

Aizen sighed.

"I would argue the point, but I do see the need for caution. Very well, then. I will give Byakuya until noon tomorrow to return, after which I will travel to Kuchiki Manor to see him safely home."

"I would be willing to travel in your stead," offered Ginrei.

Aizen shook his head.

"You are a crucial part of holding this new regime together. I will stay, and you will as well. As you have reminded me, I placed my consort in capable hands."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke to find himself in a comfortable bed that seemed to radiate with tracings of his scent and power. He realized than, that he must have been placed in his own bed at Kuchiki Manor. He took a breath and sat up, noting that although the shades had been drawn to darken the room, it was daytime. He heard footsteps and soft voices out in the gardens and concluded that Ichigo and Grimmjow were nearby, and on guard.

"K-kuchiki-sama?" said a soft voice from the open inner doorway, "Can I get you anything, sir?"

He felt stupid not knowing the boy's name.

The youth stepped forward and smiled at him.

"Th-they said that you had lost your memory, sir. It's okay. I'm Torio, your personal attendant."

They gazed at each other silently for a moment.

"Hanatarou is in the gardens. He wanted to know when you were awake again. I'll go and bring him."

"Arigato, Torio," he said quietly, inwardly surprised at the familiar feel of the words.

Torio opened the doors into the gardens, letting light flow into the room, and Byakuya sat up straighter against his pillows as Hanatarou stepped into the room. And once again, Byakuya felt childish having no recollection of the youth.

"Hello, Kuchiki taichou," said the healer, "I am glad to see you are awake again. How are you feeling?"

"I feel somewhat nauseous and groggy, but…better," he answered honestly.

"I was able to stabilize your reiatsu," he said, nodding, "however, it will become unstable again relatively quickly. I spoke to Kurosaki Ichigo and the former Espada, Grimmjow, and they told me that you had died and King Aizen restored you?"

"Yes."

It appears that the reiatsu he used is incomplete, and that you are in a state of decline. If your reiatsu is not completed quickly, you will begin to fade."

"That is why I came to the Seireitei," said Byakuya, "I came to retrieve my diary, which contains enough reiatsu to complete my restoration."

The healer nodded.

"That will restore stability to your reiatsu, but it will not restore your memory."

"It won't?" Byakuya asked softly, "Then, what must I do?"

Hanatarou smiled bracingly.

"Unohana taichou is working on that now. She has a few ideas, and an old friend of yours, Urahara Kisuke, will likely be able to assist her in finding a means to restore what was lost."

"I am glad to hear that. I have been feeling rather confused."

"Of course you have," said the healer, "but you will feel more comfortable as you settle in."

"But I am expected back in the spirit dimension. The king waits for me to return with my diary."

"You cannot go anywhere, sir! It will wear too much upon your body, speeding up its decline. Kuchiki taichou, you must be treated here. Unohana taichou will be sending for personnel to assist in completing your reiatsu. She would perform the procedure herself, but it is a delicate procedure, which has only been done a few times, so she would prefer it rest in hands that have performed the procedure before. We will be certain that when we send for the king's healers, that word is sent to the king about your condition."

"You needn't send for us," said a voice from the doorway, "We are here."

Byakuya looked up at the two men as they entered his room, followed by Torio.

"Th-they carried a royal crest, sir. They said that they were ordered here to assist you."

"I see," said Byakuya, "And you are?"

"Yukimura Fumio," said the first man, "I am master of the palace archive, and an expert on spirit restorations. And this is Arai Rokuro. Rokuro has performed several successful spirit restorations and will be the one to conduct the restoration under my supervision."

"So…we are to do the spirit restoration here in the Seireitei?" Byakuya asked, "Does Sousuke know?"

"Of course he does," said Fumio, looking surprised, "He was the one who sent us."

"But he told me not to open the diary until I returned to the castle," Byakuya objected.

"That was before he realized that you were declining so rapidly. He asked us to perform the reiatsu completion, after which we can deal with your loss of memory."

"And I assume you gentlemen have prepared the proper clearance forms for the procedure?" Hanatarou asked.

"Of course," said Fumio, reaching into his satchel.

As he did, Rokuro edged closer to Byakuya and brushed up against him. Instantly, the noble felt himself weaken. He looked up at Rokuro and tried to speak, but found himself unable.

"Kuchiki taichou!" said Fumio, stepping forward as Byakuya's eyes slid shut.

Hanatarou stepped forward and quickly examined him.

"This should not be," he mused, "I just stabilized him."

"His situation is becoming critical," said Rokuro, leaning over the unconscious noble and deepening his sleep, "We must complete his reiatsu now, or we are going to lose him!"

"Go and summon your taichou," Fumio instructed Hanatarou, "We will begin immediately!"

"Oh..." said Hanatarou, uncertainly, "Very well."

Something about the two men made him feel uncomfortable, but he was sure that Unohana taichou would know better if there was cause for concern. Swallowing hard, he left the room and ran back to the fourth division headquarters.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: Book of Lies**

**(Warning...suggestion of non-con sex)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**I look at my own words, carefully inscribed on bright white pages…the truth I saw, the pain I felt, the course I charted…but the steps I took feel false to me now. And now I know that truth is always in the heart, never in anything outside of it.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Kuchiki Byakuya…" called a distant voice.

It sounded somewhat familiar, though he couldn't seem to place it, at first. As he opened his eyes and the man's face came slowly into view, he remembered the arrival of the two men at the manor. But, for some reason he couldn't fathom, he couldn't remember what happened after their arrival.

"How are you feeling?" the man asked, smiling at him.

The man's manner was kind and gentle, but Byakuya felt an odd chill inside as the man's fingers slipped under his chin, raising his eyes so that the light reflected in them.

"G-gomen nasai," the noble said, blinking to clear his vision, "I remember your arrival, but I do not remember who you are."

The man nodded.

"I am Yukimura Fumio, the master of the palace archive. I was sent with the healer, Arai Rokuro to complete the restoration of your reiatsu. And I am pleased to tell you that the procedure was a complete success. We were able to harness the reiatsu pattern and energy in your clan leader diary and to infuse your body with it. So, your reiatsu is stable now, and all we need to focus on is the restoration of your memory."

Byakuya was suddenly distracted by the realization that the room he was in was not the one he had been in prior to the arrival of the two men at Kuchiki Manor.

"Where are we?" he asked quickly, looking around questioningly, "This is not Kuchiki Manor…"

"No," agreed Fumio, "We weren't able to explain before because you lost consciousness, but the sensitivity of the procedure required that we take you to a place where there was none of your reiatsu present in the environment. As you are Royal Consort, we had to find a more secure location than the fourth division, so we brought you to this private retreat. Do not worry. We have plenty of guards around us. And your own attendants came along as well."

"My…attendants? You mean Torio and…"

"Torio is here, and also the two shinigami guards who the king sent to watch over you."

"Ichigo and Grimmjow?"

"Yes, although Grimmjow and Ichigo were somewhat less than enthusiastic about the change of location."

"I imagine," said Byakuya, "They were given orders to accompany me to Kuchiki Manor, then to return quickly."

"Yes, and I explained to them that after you left, Aizen-sama summoned us to question us about what we knew about reiatsu completion. And in the course of that discussion, we decided that it would be best to do the reiatsu completion here in the Seireitei and not wait for you to return to the palace. We were all concerned about the alarming rate of the decline of your reiatsu. But all is well now. You tolerated the procedure well, and now we are able to assist you with the restoration of your memory."

Byakuya felt a sudden, apprehensive shiver inside as he remembered his visit to the Kuchiki family archive. Fumio noted the look on his face and sighed sympathetically.

"Let me guess," he said softly, placing a hand on Byakuya's forearm, "When you were at Kuchiki Manor, you began to suffer odd flashbacks, ne?"

"H-how did you know?" asked the noble.

"It's in your eyes. What you saw must have been difficult for you to handle…considering it contributed to your collapse just before we arrived to see to the reiatsu completion. But then, that is understandable as your relationship with Aizen-sama has always been complicated. He is not a gentle man…and even after facing Diablo and claiming his rights as the king's heir, he continues to evince darker traits that disturb those of us who faithfully served his father."

"Tell me something," said Byakuya, sitting up and meeting Fumio's eyes warily, "How do you know about my relationship with Sousuke, when he only recently became king and I have never discussed it with you?"

"Oh," said Fumio, removing Byakuya's diary from the folds of his kimono, "My apologies. As we were ordered to see to the return of your memories, it was necessary for us to review what was in your diary. It was necessary so that we would know when we were successful in restoring you. Nothing more."

Byakuya sensed something wrong in what he was being told, but was unsure what it could be.

"Here," said Fumio, handing the diary back to him, "This is yours. And if you are ready to begin, then I will introduce you to the man who will be working with you to restore your memories."

A dark-eyed, dark skinned man appeared in the doorway behind Fumio and looked in at them curiously.

"Are you ready for me now?" he asked, eyeing Byakuya closely.

"Yes," said Fumio, "His reiatsu is stable now. I think we are ready to begin restoring his memory."

He looked back at the noble, who stared at the two uncertainly.

"Byakuya, this is Hisoka. He is a very gifted counselor. As I said, he will be primarily responsible for restoring your memories. If you have any questions, he will be happy to answer them."

"I am sorry," said Byakuya, frowning, "but before I agree to anything, I need to speak to Sousuke about this. I want to return to the spirit dimension now. I will complete my restoration there."

Hisoka smiled sympathetically.

"You are frightened, nervous, perhaps because you and Aizen-sama had different plans. But after you left, he learned from us that it could be extremely dangerous for you to suddenly encounter your past with him. After all, the facts of your rape and the disturbing choice he made to end the life of your child appear to have taken a great toll on you as you began to see bits of those memories, ne?"

Byakuya's eyes widened and a chill shot down his spine.

_Sousuke raped me?_

_We…were going to have a child?_

"Byakuya," said Hisoka, "That _was_ what caused you to collapse, wasn't it? You remembered when you were a teen, and Aizen Sousuke found you while you were reacting to your father's death. You remember him taking you to his cabin in the forest near your family's residence. Isn't that right?"

"I…"

"I know it is difficult, but we will restore your life little by little, from your childhood years on. And we will slow to deal carefully with the parts that are painful for you. After all, we want you to be in full possession of the truth, but at the same time, we don't wish for that truth to be too much of a weight. You _do_ want to know the truth, ne?"

Byakuya looked down at the diary in his hands and felt an odd quiver inside. He knew by the feel of the book that it was his. Even though reiatsu had been removed to restore him, tracings of his power still vibrated softly within the pages. And he knew that if he read from it, he would experience, not just words on a page, but the full power of returning to those moments. But as real as they would seem as they came to life around them, he wasn't sure that having them thrown at him in such a way was right. Adding to that, his feelings of unease at being forced to endure the situation without Sousuke there…

"Byakuya," Fumio said quietly, "Will you tell us what you are thinking?"

The noble took a soft breath.

"I want Sousuke here. I want him here when I encounter the past. He promised that he would be with me…"

"And we counseled him that if he was here, he could cause you to react very negatively to what you learn. Truly, Byakuya, it is not safe for him to be here."

"But he would have explained it to me."

"There wasn't time," said Hisoka, "Your reiatsu was in a swift decline, so we had to restore you quickly. And because you are starting to recall bits and pieces, it is imperative that you be guided by those most adept in this kind of restoration. Believe me, I understand that, having lost your memory, and only having encountered Aizen-sama as he is now, it is understandable that you want him here. But it is much better for you to encounter the past with those who will allow you to respond more naturally to what you encounter. If he was here, he might try to influence your responses. That would not be good for you, Byakuya."

Hisoka brought his hand to rest on Byakuya's where it clutched the text and he met the noble's eyes searchingly.

"We only want to do what is best for you, Byakuya. So let us begin with the earliest events in your past."

He slowly freed the book from Byakuya's hands and opened to the beginning. As the images described within the text began to rise around Byakuya and come to life, Fumio slipped out of the room and stood just outside the door with Rokuro.

"You are sure that he isn't going to be able to tell what changes you made to the diary, ne Fumio?" said Rokuro in a low voice, "He seems very suspicious."

"It doesn't matter," said the other man, watching Byakuya closely, "Remember, I am master of the king's own archive and am an expert in these things. When he encounters the altered portions, he won't know they've been changed."

"And what makes you so sure it will turn him against Aizen?"

Fumio smiled.

"Watch."

The two men observed as Byakuya and Hisoka continued to page through the early parts of the noble's diary, falling silent as they fell into the images, then talking quietly about what they found. Some time later, Hisoka nodded approvingly and stopped the session.

"That is very good, Byakuya. I think we have done enough for today," Hisoka said, taking the diary from Byakuya's hands and placing it on the nightstand, "Tell me. How do you feel?"

"Weary," admitted the noble, "And you should know…I still feel little connection to the events I experienced. Will that change? Or will I always have the feeling that I know the events, but that it seems like they happened to someone else?"

"Not to worry," Hisoka said kindly, "As we progress, you will connect more firmly with your past, and when you return to where you know more people, you will feel that history begin to come to life within you again. Rest now. I will have Torio bring your tea."

Byakuya watched in silence as the therapist rose and left the room, then rested quietly against the pillows, his eyes straying from time to time to the diary that sat on the nightstand. The things he had learned about himself were not taxing in and of themselves. Although he did feel sad to have seen the events surrounding his parents' deaths, they didn't feel real to him. He didn't feel the strong connection to those faces and voices, so the loss seemed oddly distant. He shook his head and tried to brush off the sense of disquiet as Torio stepped into his room and delivered his tea.

"Is there anything else you need, Kuchiki-sama?" the youth asked.

"No, Torio, arigato. You may go."

The youth bowed and left the room. Byakuya sat, drinking his tea and gazing out the bedroom window. He missed the doors of his own bedroom that opened out into the gardens, and the safe feeling he had enjoyed in Aizen Sousuke's presence. But at the same time…

His eyes strayed to the diary sitting on the nightstand beside him.

_Byakuya,_ he remembered Hisoka saying, _I wonder if I should take this and hold it for you. As your counselor, I know it would be harmful for you to read it alone. Will you promise to read only the sections we have read together, and not to stray to new sections until we are in a session?_

_I will read only the sections we have seen together, _he had promised.

He sighed softly and picked up the diary, then opened it and scanned the pages they had covered already. But as he did, Hisoka's earlier words came back to him.

_After all, the facts of your rape and the disturbing choice he made to end the life of your child appear to have taken a great toll on you as you began to see bits of those memories, ne?_

He looked around and found himself to be alone. His fingers worked their way through the pages that he and Hisoka had covered in their session. They had covered most of his childhood, and aside from the deaths of his parents, but had stopped just as he learned of his father's death. He hadn't even gotten to see how he had reacted to the loss of Soujun in battle…

_But…_

His fingertips stroked the corner of the last page they had read. He stared at the page for a long time, then looked around to make sure he was alone and turned the page.

Outside his bedroom door, Fumio smiled triumphantly back at the other two men, and the three turned and walked away.

"You were right," Rokuro said softly, "He can't help but want to know. Who wouldn't?"

"Yes," agreed Fumio, "Now, we'll be close by to pick up the pieces when he learns the sordid 'truth' about what a monster he is married to."

He turned to Hisoka.

"Be prepared for when he reacts to what he finds. And Rokuro, I want you to watch Kurosaki and his blue-haired friend. We want them there, but we don't want them to interfere."

"What are you going to be doing?" asked Hisoka.

"I am going to intensify the barriers around this place. I don't want our dear king to sense what we're doing until it's too late to do anything about it."

"And we have to make sure Byakuya does not escape, ne?"

"Right," agreed Fumio, "Until we _want _him to."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya swallowed hard and focused on the page in front of him. Slowly, the images grew and came to life around him.

_He heard the roar of thunder and felt the first drops of rain as he abandoned the darkened hallways of Kuchiki Manor and ran out through the gardens that he and his father tended together every day, out the back gate and down the forest paths they had walked hundreds of times. Hot tears mixed with the chilly raindrops, making him shiver inside. He was loathe to let anyone see him cry, but he simply couldn't hold the tears back any longer. So he concealed his reiatsu and ran recklessly from the manor, down the forest path and up to the waterfall. He reached the cliff and flash stepped over, using a set of touch points to break his fall and to send him over the lake and out into the swirling grasses of the meadow._

_But no matter how far he ran, it wasn't far enough…_

_The rain pounded down all around him, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled the ground beneath his feet. He might have been somewhat unnerved by the storm, but the pain that swelled up from inside made him forget everything else. He ran blindly, leaving Kuchiki land and passing into other sections of nearby forest. He was still able to see the trail, but tears, rain, and the unruly strands of hair that fell down into his face obscured his vision. He barely saw anything as he staggered forward, his breath coming out in hard, aching sobs._

_He didn't see the dark form ahead of him on the trail until they collided._

_Strong arms took hold of him and the man who held him, reached up with his other hand to push back his hood, revealing his face._

"_A-aizen taichou?" he said in a choked voice, gazing up at the elder shinigami with wide eyes._

"_Byakuya-kun," said Aizen, reaching down to brush the wet hair out of his eyes, "Are you…?"_

_He seemed to stop himself and think for a moment._

"_Of course you are not all right," he said in a voice barely audible above the storm, "I heard about what happened to your father. I am…so sorry. Come, I will take you to a warmer, drier place."_

_He stood for a moment, uncertain._

"_It is all right, Byakuya-kun," the older man assured him, "I only want to get you dried off and warmed up. You look cold and weary. Come with me."_

_Byakuya let the heavy emotion out of him in a long, shuddering sigh and fell silent, following as Aizen led him to a nearby cottage and let them inside._

"_This is my retreat," Aizen told him, "I come here for solitude and reflection. But it will keep us safe and dry until morning, and then I will take you home."_

_Byakuya remained silent as he was led to the bedroom, where Aizen handed him a towel and turned to the closet to find a yukata. The one he brought was just slightly too big, but being grateful for the dry clothes and exhausted from the fury of his emotions, Byakuya only thanked Aizen and waited for a moment._

_He felt an odd twinge as the elder man began removing his wet clothes, seemingly oblivious to the youth who stood, staring questioningly at him._

"_Go ahead," Aizen said, "Undress. I don't bite."_

_Byakuya allowed himself a small smile at the levity and relaxed somewhat. He stripped his wet clothes away and began to dry himself. It felt so good to rub the warm towel against his cold skin that he lost track of what was happening around him. He didn't realize that Aizen had stopped what he was doing, and was moving closer, his clothes gone and his yukata left open._

"_Here, allow me."_

_Byakuya caught his breath softly, then felt it leave him as Aizen's hands took the towel and continued to dry him off. A flush rose immediately on his face and throat, and he tried to fend off Aizen's hands._

"_Aizen taichou…please, stop. I can…"_

_He broke off, realizing that the man's yukata was opened and his penis looked to be wet and very erect._

"_What is it?" the elder man's voice asked softly, "You are…eighteen, ne? And I am certain that you have seen other men without their clothes on. Why do you look so alarmed?"_

"_I…I am not."_

"_Oh, but you are, Byakuya-kun. Why are you frightened of me?"_

"_I am not frightened," he objected, but his hands clenched painfully and shivers went through him as Aizen finished drying him off and stood looking at his bared body._

"_I see. You trust me, then?"_

"_Of course. You are a taichou…"_

"_Yes. And I have no desire to harm you, Byakuya-kun. But I would suggest that it is not that you fear I will hurt you…you fear that something will happen between us here…in this room, ne?"_

_Aizen's fingers stroked his face and he moved closer. One hand curved around Byakuya's face and Aizen leaned forward and brought his lips to the youth's ear._

"_You see that I am aroused by you, and you fear it."_

"_No, I…"_

_He was silenced as Aizen's mouth clamped down on his, forcing his mouth open and invading it with a hot, unyielding tongue. His hands tightened on Aizen, trying to push him away, but the fifth division taichou held on to him, kissing him harder and sliding a hand down his torso and touching him where no one had ever dared before._

"_N-no! Aizen taichou!" he gasped, "Stop!"_

_The older man's hold on him grew painful and Byakuya found himself being slowly dragged down to the floor._

"STOP!" Byakuya screamed, "STOP!"

He was shaken out of the diary and back into reality as footsteps sounded in the hallway and Grimmjow flash stepped into the room, followed by an anxious looking Ichigo.

"What is it?" the blue-haired shinigami asked, sliding to a stop and staring at Byakuya's tormented and tearstained face, "What happened?"

He moved closer and sat down on the bed. He reached out to lay a supportive hand on the noble's arm and found himself unexpectedly holding Byakuya's shaking body against him. Byakuya shivered, then looked up at him and narrowed his eyes.

"You…" he said softly, "You protected me…from him!"

Grimmjow frowned more deeply and wrapped his arms around Byakuya, letting the noble's head rest against his shoulder.

"Yeah," he said, nodding, "You remember?"

"Bits and pieces," Byakuya said in a trembling voice, "When I touch you…I see…I remember things."

His fingers strayed down to Grimmjow's abdomen, gently exploring him through his shihakushou.

"When you were a hollow, you tried to help me get away from him."

"Yeah," said Grimmjow, falling silent as Hisoka appeared in the doorway.

"Is he all right?" Hisoka asked, "What happened?"

Byakuya's head turned and the dark, tormented eyes met the counselor's, telling him everything without a word. Hisoka shook his head and regarded him with sympathetic eyes.

"I am sorry, Byakuya," he said remorsefully, "I should have removed the temptation. It is only natural that you would seek to know. My apologies."

"It's my fault," Byakuya said softly, still resting his head on Grimmjow's shoulder, "I shouldn't have looked. But now that I have, I know…"

He took a shuddering breath.

"He is a monster!" Byakuya hissed.

"What?" Grimmjow asked, touching his face and meeting the noble's eyes again.

Byakuya's reiatsu rose around them until it shook the room.

"He is a MONSTER!" Byakuya cried, burying his face in Grimmjow's shoulder again, "I never should have trusted him!"

Grimmjow looked from the shaken shinigami to the counselor, who had joined them on the bed, then back at Ichigo. The same thought struck both of Byakuya's protectors at the same time.

_Something really screwy is going on here…_

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke stood in the King's Garden under a sakura tree, watching as the sun blazed down, warming everything in its path. The tranquility around him seemed stark against the backdrop of concern that refused to leave him. He ached to simply leave and go to find his soul bonded, but the situation around him remained strained and tense. He gave a sigh of relief as Kuchiki Ginrei arrived in the gardens and flash stepped to him.

"Has there been word from Kuchiki Manor?"

His blood went cold at the look in the old shinigami's eyes.

"There has," the Royal Guard taichou told him, "I received a hell butterfly from Unohana taichou, saying that three men arrived at Kuchiki Manor, bearing a royal crest and claiming to have been sent by you to complete Byakuya's reiatsu. Apparently, they tricked the staff into believing that being at the manor was harming my grandson, because the reiatsu traces were causing him intense flashbacks. The staff confirmed that Byakuya did collapse after suffering an intense flashback, but Unohana taichou said that there was no need to move him. They could have solved the problem using other methods."

"So…where is Byakuya?"

"We do not know. We cannot sense his reiatsu, or that of Grimmjow and Kurosaki. All of them have disappeared."

Inside Aizen, the fury began to swell. The sky around the two darkened and the ground shook warningly.

"Do we have a description of the ones who took him?"

Ginrei held up a photograph.

"This was found when the security tapes were played back."

Aizen's anger swelled more furiously as he recognized the faces.

"Damn them!" he hissed softly, "If they have harmed him…"

He glared into the healing pool until the water began to boil.

"They have hidden their reiatsu as well," he mused, "but they will find that it isn't enough…"

He closed his eyes and focused deeply.

_Byakuya…_

At first, there seemed to be no connection with the noble at all.

Then, Aizen Sousuke caught his breath softly as he felt the swell of Byakuya's deadly rage.

_What is wrong, watashi no koi?_

There was no answer, just another wave of intense fury.

_Where are you, Byakuya? What has happened?_


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: Rage**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Rage is a poison that flows in my veins, so cut me as you desire and watch it flow onto your skin. Red and relentless, it will burn your vulnerable flesh. You will be devoured by the evil you brought upon me…and I will stand over you, watching with eyes that know pride again as they see you fade away...**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you sure that you wish to continue, Byakuya-sama?" asked Hisoka, frowning uncertainly as the noble took the diary into his hand again.

Byakuya took a short breath and nodded.

"I need to know the whole truth. I need to know all of what he did to me. Do not worry. Although my initial reaction was strong, I have regained control. I know now what to expect from this man, so I will not allow myself to be shocked by what I see. As painful as they are, they are only memories. They cannot hurt me."

"That is where you are wrong, Byakuya-sama," Hisoka said, shaking his head, "You might steel yourself against the pain, but it will still strike you. Be certain then that if you must proceed, that you do so with great caution."

"I will," Byakuya said solemnly.

"Very well," sighed Hisoka, "Let us continue."

Byakuya moved forward in the text, focusing deeply as the power of the diary drew him in again.

_He woke early again, as he had for a number of months, his stomach turning and his head spinning oddly. He knew better than to try to ignore it. Instead, he slipped out of bed and moved on catlike feet past his sleeping attendant and into the bathroom. He turned on the shower before falling onto his knees and emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet, then sitting back against the wall to catch his breath. He heard his servant try the door._

"_I am fine," he told the other, "You may go back to sleep."_

_He climbed to his feet, inhaling sharply as dizziness swept over him and he caught sight of himself in the mirror._

_And there was no denying it anymore…_

"_I am with child," he whispered._

_He could hardly believe that what Aizen Sousuke had done to him could have made his body produce an heir. Such a thing was rare, and usually a sacred thing. It wasn't supposed to happen to victims of rape. And the elders did not know about the rape, or his pregnancy. When they learned of it, they were likely to believe that he had secretly wanted Aizen's affections. Nothing was further from the truth, of course. Aizen had bound him with kido and taken him repeatedly throughout that stormy night, whispering that it was all right that he was reticent, that the first plundering of the body was sometimes painful, but after that initial pain, there would be great pleasure. And despite his heavy emotions, his body had, in the end, responded to Aizen's demands. Even months later, he could still feel the man's hands on his young body, holding him down, and penetrating him, first with fingers, then with his hard and unforgiving member. And as the man moved inside him, his hand had curled around the noble youth's shaft, stroking him relentlessly and telling him not to fight what was happening, that love was a beautiful thing and he should embrace it._

_He might have been only eighteen, but he knew that what his father had felt for his mother had been gentle and kind…not demanding and forceful. He didn't have to have even seen his mother to know what he had seen in Soujun's devotions to his late wife. No, there was no love in Aizen Sousuke's actions, just raw power and domination._

_He forced the thought away and stepped into the shower to wash away the sweat and the scent of vomit. It also gave him time to think. The thickening of his body was becoming noticeable. He couldn't allow anyone to see. He didn't dare think of what the elders would do to him if they found out. And even if his grandfather wasn't away on a mission, he wouldn't be likely to understand the way Soujun had. Yes, his father would have helped him somehow, but Soujun was dead, and the ones who cared for Byakuya now were not so gentle and loving._

_And that meant that he had to leave Kuchiki Manor…_

_Normally, he would have turned to Shihoin Yoruichi. Despite her penchant for tormenting him, she really did, he felt, care for him. But Yoruichi had disappeared amidst the conflict surrounding the taichous and fukutaichous, who were said to have been victims of Urahara's illegal experiments. He had no close friends…only a guarded friendship with Ichimaru Gin that on occasion, had proved tenuous. No, there was no one he could go to in the Seireitei._

_But he had heard rumors that there was a shinigami living in Karakura Town, who had helped other shinigamis. He wondered if, perhaps, the man might conceal him and help him have his baby secretly. _

_So, after leaving the shower and quietly dressing, he carefully approached his sleeping attendant and deepened the youth's sleep, then tied him up and made the room look as though there had been a struggle. He slipped out of the manor and opened a family senkaimon, carefully masking his reiatsu to hide his passage. He moved silently into the precipice world and worked his way through the dark tunnels, feeling the touches of other shinigamis' reiatsu as they passed nearby. He was nearly to Karakura Town, when he turned a corner and ran headlong into Aizen Sousuke._

_He tore away from the man and raised his reiatsu, but gasped in dismay as his pregnancy interfered with his powers, and his reiatsu sparked and faded. Aizen stared at him in the darkness, taking in the dark, plain clothes he wore, the guarded expression, and the extremely pale, sickly look about him._

"_Why, Byakuya-kun, why are you skulking about alone in the precipice world so early in the morning? Daylight is still a few hours away. What do you mean by traveling alone and in secrecy?"_

_He moved closer and Byakuya backed away. Aizen smiled, making the young noble's heart pound painfully._

"_Leave me alone!" Byakuya hissed, drawing his weapon and not caring if he was sensed. Any fate was better than being touched by this man again!_

_But Aizen moved forward, and his reiatsu flared around him, trapping the pregnant youth and holding him tightly in place._

"_N-no!" he gasped, "Do not touch me, Aizen taichou! Do not ever put your hands on me again!"_

"_Come now," said the elder shinigami, "You did not shy away from my touch before, Byakuya-kun. I have missed the feel of your soft skin…your lovely scent…that hot place inside you…"_

"_Get away from me!" screamed Byakuya, "I won't let you…"_

_He never got the chance to finish. He was dragged down and bared, then bound securely and gagged. He closed his eyes and screamed into the gag, making almost no sound and choking himself. Aizen's hands explored his body slowly, as Byakuya shook with rage and disgust and fought him, even though he already knew it wouldn't change the outcome. He felt a searching hand pass over his abdomen and stop, then Aizen's eyes met his questioningly and he unexpectedly sat up and freed the youth. He gazed into Byakuya's eyes, sending hard chills down the noble's spine. He knew he had to get away…_

"_What is this?" asked Aizen, "Byakuya, are you…pregnant?"_

"_No!" snapped the noble, jumping to his feet and setting his clothes back in place._

"_But you are, ne?" said Aizen, frowning, "That is why you have run away."_

_Byakuya began to back away._

"_Oh," said Aizen, "How careless of me. I should have stopped this. I was aware that noble males sometimes become pregnant, but I had thought it was an expression of love."_

_His smile made Byakuya shiver as he continued backing away and prepared to run._

"_Does this mean you enjoyed our night together, Byakuya? Does this mean that despite your protests, you want more?"_

_Byakuya shook his head fervently, fighting the tears that came into his eyes._

"_No!" he managed in a choked voice, "The very thought makes me ill, Aizen Sousuke! You are nothing but a demon, and you will never touch me again!"_

_He started to flash step, but was stunned as a hand took hold of his arm and held him firmly in place. Aizen gazed down at him for a moment._

"_This won't do at all," he said, unhappily, "Not at all…"_

"_Let go of me!"_

"_There can't be a child, Byakuya. I can't allow you to have this baby. I have much at stake, and I won't have it ruined over a trifle like this."_

"_A TRIFLE!" Byakuya cried, clenching his hands into fists, "You call this a trifle? You RAPED me, Aizen Sousuke! You made me pregnant! I never wanted any of this. You are horrible! You are disgusting and I cannot stand the sight of you!"_

_He tore free and lost his balance, but recovered instantly and flash stepped away._

"_You hurt me, but you won't hurt me or this baby ever again!" he cried, breaking into a run._

_He could hear Aizen following and flash stepped as fast as his feet would carry him. If he hadn't been pregnant, he would have outdistanced the man easily, but as it was, Aizen closed in on him quickly and took hold of him just as he reached the end of the tunnel._

"_No! Let go! Let go of me!" he screamed, firing a kido spell at the elder shinigami, then watching in horror as Aizen brought a hand to his tearstained face and looked into his eyes._

"_I apologize, Byakuya-kun, not for partaking of your sweet flesh, but for allowing myself to be careless. But don't worry. I will take care of everything. Be calm."_

_A flash of kido made Byakuya's legs give way, and he managed a last, soft, wounded cry as everything went dark around him. For a time, he felt nothing. He floated senselessly in the darkness, alone and adrift._

_When his eyes finally opened again, he found himself lying naked in a bed in what appeared to be a hotel in the living world. His body ached and trembled, and he felt wetness between his thighs. A shower was running and he caught Aizen's scent in the air. He tried to reach for his abdomen, but his hands were bound to the bar at the head of the bed. Enraged, he managed to shatter the kido that held him, and he quickly dressed. He knew he had to get out of there, before…_

_His hand slipped down to his abdomen and Byakuya blanched._

_He felt only emptiness inside now._

_And it didn't matter to him how the child had been made, or that his life would have been harder if the baby had been allowed to be born. All that mattered was the shattering loss of someone he already felt attached to. _

_His ears registered the sound of the shower turning off, and he flash stepped to the window and fled the hotel. He didn't care at all that he was still naked, barefoot and Aizen's seed still poisoned him. He flash stepped through the precipice world and back to Kuchiki Manor. And as he collapsed into the shocked house guard's arms, he was well aware that his attacker would never be identified. Somehow, even the evidence on his body would have been made unidentifiable. So when he woke up in his bedroom, with Ginrei and Unohana taichou and his attendant all gazing down at him, he looked into their eyes and lied, saying he remembered nothing._

_And he never told them the truth…_

Byakuya felt something pulling him out of the past, and opened his eyes to find himself leaning heavily against Hisoka and shaking uncontrollably. The counselor said nothing, but let the noble's head rest against his shoulder. He reached over and closed the diary, then placed his hand over Byakuya's. The noble sighed and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift. He wasn't surprised when a pulse of kido made his body go limp and Hisoka lowered him onto the bed and softly admonished him to sleep.

"We will talk more after you have rested."

"Just tell me one thing," Byakuya requested softly, "Sousuke told me that we lost the child we made together during our mission to find Tenrai Tezawari, because I was injured escaping the Gotei 13. Is that true…or did he, once again, make certain that I would lose our baby?"

Hisoka gazed at him sadly and shook his head.

"That you have asked the question already suggests you know the answer. You will see when you read it, Byakuya-sama, but I will tell you that he used his powers to mislead you again…"

Byakuya closed his eyes and a tear escaped and ran down his face. Hisoka quietly brushed it away, then stood and left Byakuya sleeping.

The noble waited until Hisoka left the room, then got out of his bed and quickly dressed. He slipped the diary into his shihakushou and placed Senbonzakura at his waist. His dark gray eyes burned with deadly rage, but he forced his reiatsu to calm so that he wouldn't be sensed leaving the retreat. As he climbed out his window and dropped down onto the ground, he was careful to avoid being seen by Ichigo and Grimmjow. He sensed the barrier around the property and knew he couldn't leave without being sensed. Abandoning stealth, he raised his power and blasted the barrier with kido. Voices rose in the distance as the barrier shattered and Byakuya flash stepped away. He ignored the pleading voices of the ones Sousuke had sent, and sensed that Ichigo and Grimmjow followed. He moved at top speed, his reiatsu released and flaring all around him. As he ran, he sensed Aizen's voice in his mind.

_Byakuya…Byakuya, what is happening? Where are you, watashi no koi? I haven't been able to sense you for days!_

Byakuya continued to flash step at top speed, leaving all pursuit behind as he passed over into the spirit dimension and angled for the palace.

_I am coming back. Meet me in the gardens…_

He felt continued questions, but closed his mind to him, thinking only of what he would do when he stood within the King's Gardens again. He sensed Aizen Sousuke waiting there, his reiatsu flaring and worried. Byakuya honed in on it and shot towards the palace at a blistering speed. So intent was he on reaching Aizen and confronting him, that he didn't sense the presence of the three men following him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke stood at the edge of the healing pool, his mind spinning at the sudden reconnection with his noble lover. He was not naïve enough to make the assumption that all was well with his consort. The ousted councilors had been with Byakuya in a hidden location for several days, so he couldn't be sure what he would face when Byakuya arrived.

Still, it was a relief to know that his lover was alive. Whatever the councilors might have done to him, if he was alive, then they could make things all right again…

And after that, they would see to the restoration of the noble's memory. They were so close to regaining all they had lost when Byakuya had been sacrificed so that he could overpower Diablo. He smiled at the thought of seeing the noble's feistier spirit return in full. He was sure that his lover would have something to say about being dragged back forcibly from the jaws of death, about his husband's arrogance in his dealings with the council…and a hundred other things. But when they finished having out their differences, he looked forward to falling into bed with his lover and enjoying him thoroughly.

"Aizen," Byakuya said in a low, angry voice, from somewhere behind him.

The king turned just in time to be buried in a sea of pink petal blades.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: Estranged**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**My heart aches, seeing the torment in your eyes, and no matter how I reach out to you, you only move farther away. We can barely see each other, through the haze of lies upon lies, so we wait, with swords drawn, for the dust to settle…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen Sousuke stared in surprise as the storm of petal blades swirled around him, then slashed viciously at him. The instant, reactive swell of his own reiatsu stopped most of them, but a few broke through his guard and stung the skin of his face and arms. He moved instinctively, knowing Byakuya well enough to expect the blinding blasts of kido and sword slashes that followed. The noble, he reasoned, was beyond words and fighting with intent to kill. Otherwise, he would have stated his intent first and not simply attacked.

And Byakuya attacking without first stating his intent also meant that he was in a dangerous emotional state. As the noble's sword slashed at him again, he blocked it with Kyouka Suigetsu and locked their blades together. He gave his soul bonded an appraising look, and the seething gray eyes told him that the noble was in horrid emotional pain, and that pain was the driving force behind his behavior.

But the source of that pain…

What had the councilors said or done to put him in such a state?

He was distracted from the thought as a flash step sounded near them and another man's weapon slashed at Byakuya. The noble flash stepped away nimbly as the other followed. Near them, the doors from the palace into the King's Garden crashed open and the Royal Guard began to flood the area. In front of him, Byakuya slid to a stop, his sword locked against Kuchiki Ginrei's and his eyes wide and anguished.

"Do not move, Byakuya," his grandfather warned him, "You are under arrest for the attempted murder of King Aizen!"

More flash steps sounded and a group of white clad Royal Guardsmen appeared around the two nobles, their weapons unsheathed and pointed at Byakuya. Aizen stared into the deeply wounded eyes of his lover and sensed the extreme danger of the moment. Whatever he was tormented by had pushed him beyond concern for his life. And that being so…despite being surrounded and having no chance of landing a blow, Byakuya, he knew, was going to attack.

"Do you surrender?" asked Ginrei.

Byakuya didn't answer.

And in that split second, as the Royal Guardsmen stood in place around the noble and waited for an answer, Byakuya made his move. It happened so quickly, that even having realized in the last moment what he was going to do and starting to flash step away, Aizen Sousuke was treated to the shock of a lifetime as Senbonzakura slipped through his guard and, barely deflected by his own blade, cut into his shoulder. He instantly activated his shikai and flash stepped clear.

And a moment later, he was nearly upended by a double blast of blue fire that shot from the noble's hands and bore down on him so swiftly, he barely escaped it.

_Ah yes, the soul bonding enabled him to use Kyouka Suigetsu before, so it seems he is less affected by my illusions._

It seemed the noble could not see him, but could sense the area he was in. But as Byakuya fired another blast at him, Aizen saw the Royal Guardsmen closing in on the noble, and he knew that if he did not act swiftly to stop the battle, Byakuya was going to be killed.

_Byakuya, stop. I will listen to whatever you have to say, but stop before the Royal Guard kills you. Do you wish to force your own grandfather to have to cut you down? Because you know I will not do so._

But Byakuya was already releasing his senkei. Lines of pink swords began to fall into place around them, creating a fighting chamber, and locking out a good portion of the fighters who were trying to stop Byakuya. Yet, even that smaller number of Royal Guardsmen, Aizen knew, was enough to slaughter Byakuya, the moment he made a mistake or moved too slowly. For even having locked out most of the other fighters, he had sacrificed his defenses to do so. And as soon as the chamber closed, Kuchiki Ginrei shouted orders for the guardsmen within the senkei with them, to close in and use whatever force was necessary to bring Byakuya down.

There was only one thing that he could think of to do.

As Byakuya sensed his position and ignored the fighters who were about to attack him, the king deactivated his shikai, so that the Royal Guardsmen could see him, then he flash stepped to Byakuya, catching Senbonzakura with one hand and holding the weapon away as he faced his lover.

"You must stop," he told Byakuya, "You are in a hopeless position, watashi no koi."

The Royal Guardsmen flash stepped in.

"Surrender now," he went on, "I do not want my soul bonded to die."

"No," agreed Byakuya in a hard, tormented voice, "You would much rather keep me alive and torment me, ne?"

"What?"

"Well, Aizen Sousuke, I won't let you. You may have gotten away with murdering our children while they were still inside me, but you will lose control of me now. You see, I do not care that I will die, because even the idea of dying does not torment me as you do."

Aizen caught his breath in dismay as the noble's senkei began to dissolve and a sphere of petal blades formed around them.

"My blades will not harm the innocent," Byakuya said quietly, "but now you and I are going to be brought down and sent into the fires of hell together, Aizen Sousuke."

And incredibly, Byakuya was smiling.

"Gokei, Sen…"

The king stared as Byakuya froze in the midst of the release of his sword, his dark eyes widening and flooding with pain as a blade was thrust through him from behind. He went silent as blood exploded from his body and he dropped to his knees, revealing Kuchiki Ginrei standing behind him.

"I am sorry," he told Byakuya, pulling his blade out of his fallen grandson's body and preparing to finish him, "I serve the king, and I cannot allow you to kill him."

"Hold," Aizen said, shivering inside as the sphere of petal blades slowly dissolved and Senbonzakura reappeared in Byakuya's blood soaked hand, "Kuchiki taichou, stand down."

Ginrei froze with his weapon raised over Byakuya. Byakuya remained on his knees, blood flowing down his body and his hand still clenching Senbonzakura.

"Let go of your sword, Byakuya," Aizen said, moving closer, "You have been critically wounded. If you do not receive healing quickly, then you will die. And I do not have the reiatsu necessary to restore you a second time."

"Then…" Byakuya panted, blood leaking from his mouth, "Do the right thing, Aizen Sousuke. Let me go. Let me…finally be free of you."

The king dropped to his knees in front of Byakuya and placed a hand over the one that still held Senbonzakura.

"I don't know what those men did to you," he said quietly, "But I promise you that I will make things right between us again."

"How?" Byakuya whispered, "How can things be made right again? Can you take back the fact that you raped me repeatedly? That you callously killed our children before they ever drew breath?"

"What?"

"The king's order required that I must free you from Central 46 custody, find Tenrai Tezawari and see that you were made king," the noble went on, his voice breaking, "Despite what you did to me when I was a teen, I performed those duties and I willingly let my life be taken to see that duty done. I asked for nothing in return, but that you allow me to finally be at peace. But you could not allow that, could you? Were you just too tempted at being able to use of my loss of memory to take advantage of me, yet again? Did you enjoy depriving me of my innocence, not once, but twice, Aizen Sousuke?"

"Byakuya, what are you talking about? What lies have they been feeding you?"

"You think _they_ are liars?" Byakuya said, his voice weakening and his body beginning to collapse, "Don't make me laugh. You are the master of deception, Aizen Sousuke. And I was stupid to believe for a moment that you actually loved me. You have won. You have shattered me. But in doing so…you have also brought an end to my suffering. The pieces you have left this time…are too small…to be put back together. You can torment me…no more!"

Byakuya's eyes closed and he sank the rest of the way to the ground, his hand finally relaxing and releasing his sword. Aizen leaned forward and carefully lifted the noble's limp body into his arms and carried him past the staring Royal Guardsmen, to the healing pool. He carried Byakuya into the pool and knelt, letting the noble's upper body rest against his chest, and burying his face in the tangled and blood soaked hair that still managed to retain the sweet scent of sakura.

Behind him, Ginrei set guards at the palace doors and sent the rest of the fighters back to the barracks, then walked back to where Senbonzakura lay abandoned in the grass. He picked up his grandson's sword and carried it to the edge of the healing pool, where he set it down and sat down beside it, watching as the king began to heal Byakuya's wounds.

"I am sorry that you were forced to injure him," Aizen said quietly, "Perhaps I should have acted, myself, so you wouldn't have had to. But I couldn't bring myself to harm him."

"Why not?" asked the old shinigami, "Byakuya attacked you. And did you not stand in front of me and say that you would kill _anyone_ who attacked you?"

Aizen sighed, loosing the tie at Byakuya's waist and loosening his clothing. As he did, Byakuya's diary fell from within the folds of his shihakushou and into the king's hands. Aizen frowned and set the diary at the edge of the pool, next to Senbonzakura.

"I did say that," he admitted to Ginrei, "but then, as much as Byakuya has been angry with me before, he has never attacked me with such venom. I wonder at what he said. It didn't make sense. He referred to something that I did to him as a teen…"

"And you have no recollection of this? Of the rape he mentioned? Of the unborn children? None of it?" Ginrei asked.

Aizen shook his head.

"Nothing unpleasant happened between Byakuya and me when he was a teen. I taught him calligraphy, but the sessions were always friendly. That was really all of the contact I had with him."

"And no sexual contact occurred while you were with him?" Ginrei asked, glancing at the diary.

"No…never. I always respected the natural boundaries of age and that Byakuya was going to be a clan leader. I swear, nothing happened between us."

"But Byakuya seemed to believe differently."

The king shook his head.

"Somehow those former councilors convinced him of that."

Ginrei reached over and picked up the diary.

"Then, perhaps we should find out what it is that they made him believe," he said, opening the diary and scanning the pages.

Aizen's hands slid down Byakuya's chest, healing the minor cuts, then addressing the huge wound that went through his torso from back to front. He sent his reiatsu into the torn flesh and slowly healed the damaged tissue, moved up and down the length of his body, checking for other injuries and healing them. He paused as Kuchiki Ginrei made a deep sound of surprise and distress.

"What is it?" Aizen asked quickly, "Did you find something?"

Ginrei's face was extraordinarily pale as he handed the open book to the king and watched silently as Aizen read the indicated section.

"This _is_ his diary," commented Aizen, frowning, "I can sense it. But something is wrong! Not a word of this is true…"

"You did not rape my grandson on the night of his father's death?" asked Ginrei, a strained edge to his voice.

"No, of course not!" Aizen insisted, "I did find him crying, and I comforted him and took him home, but you have my word that _nothing happened_ between us that night!"

"And you never came across him in the precipice world and discovered and ended his pregnancy?"

"No," the king said, shaking his head firmly, "That never happened."

Ginrei sighed discontentedly.

"I have never heard of a clan leader diary being tainted in this way, but I would remind his majesty, that one of the men who was with Byakuya in the Seireitei, is also master of the palace archive. As such, Yukimura Fumio has access to great stores of knowledge in many areas. And he is an expert on spirit restoration. He might have been able to find a way to alter the diary, and to trick Byakuya into believing what he read."

Aizen sighed and closed his eyes.

"No wonder Byakuya attacked me like that," he said softly, "This is unconscionable. Kuchiki taichou, I want you to gather your best officers and I want you find these men. Find and arrest them. And bring them before me. They will regret the day they dared to lay hands on my soul bonded!"

"As you wish, my lord," said Ginrei, rising and turning back towards the palace, "I will go and gather my forces for the search, and I will leave the guards here to make certain that you are protected until they are found. I will also send a security attachment to escort my grandson to the prison."

The king's eyes widened.

"What? But you know that Byakuya was manipulated into this. Why would I have him arrested?"

The old shinigami met his eyes squarely.

"Because you do not know that this _all_ he has done to Byakuya. Until it is clear that it is safe for you to be in my grandson's presence, he must be incarcerated. I know you disagree, but you must see the sense in what I am saying. If there is more to what Yukimura Fumio planned, then we must be certain that we avoid springing the trap."

As much as Aizen hated it, the old noble's argument made sense.

"He won't understand this," Aizen said wistfully, "It is only going to cause him more distress."

"Then we will find a way to make him understand. But while we do, we must ensure your safety, my lord. If anything happens to you…with no heir, we would be forced to use the rebirth ritual to bring forth a new king…and that is not something any of us wish to face. Now, with your permission, I will leave to begin the search for the criminals who did this."

"Of course, Kuchiki taichou. Arigato."

He watched in silence as the old noble flash stepped back to the palace and he and Byakuya were left alone, but for the guards at the palace doors.

Aizen's hands continued to caress Byakuya's body, infusing him with healing reiatsu and soothing him into a more comfortable state. After several minutes, Byakuya stirred in his arms. As he began to regain consciousness, Aizen gazed down at him sadly and reluctantly sealed away the noble's powers. He expected that as Byakuya regained his senses, he might become combative again, but to his surprise, Byakuya simply rested quietly in his arms with heartbreakingly devastated eyes and a lost, defeated expression.

"Are you in any pain?" Aizen asked, seeking to coax him into talking.

"Some," the noble acknowledged distantly, "but it is manageable."

"Then we should talk."

"To what purpose?" Byakuya asked softly, "There is nothing that you, or anyone else could say, that I would be able to trust at this point. Simply put, I do not know friend from enemy. I cannot even trust my own inscribed words."

Aizen's hand moved to pick up the diary, but Byakuya's stopped it.

"It is no use," the noble said quietly, "It has been corrupted…and so have I. "

"So you know now that the diary was tampered with…that I did not do those things?"

"Neither were you blameless, Aizen Sousuke. When I went into the archive to retrieve the diary, I found that touching things I had touched before evoked memories. I experienced the same sort of thing when Grimmjow put his arms around me to comfort me after I had a nightmare. I know that what was between us was complicated, but the only things I have remembered are that you coerced me into having sex with you and that Grimmjow feared that you would hurt me. The 'Aizen Sousuke' I saw in those memories is nothing like the loving and gentle person you have been since my return from death. Naturally, it leaves me even more confused about who we are to each other."

"I understand," said Aizen, looking into his eyes, "And I think that I can help you to resolve your confusion."

"How?"

Aizen smiled.

"Close your eyes…and put your arms around me."

The noble's eyes narrowed suspiciously and he hesitated, but after a brief moment of internal struggle, he sat up in the healing pool, turned his body and settled into the king's arms. He rested his head on Aizen's shoulder and let his eyes slide shut.

"Now, Byakuya," the king whispered into his ear, "Listen to what your heart is telling you. Listen to what it tells you about our connection. And I want you to trust that."

"Trust my heart?" Byakuya mused, "That is odd advice, coming from you, Sousuke."

"Perhaps," Aizen acknowledged, "but what I have learned about you since you freed me from Central 46 and we became soul bonded is that your power…your drive…and everything you are is centered in that one place inside you. And when you listen to your heart, you begin to remember yourself. Think of it this way. When you went into the archive, you trusted in your heart, that it would yield answers…and you had memories because your heart was open to them. And when you had that nightmare and Grimmjow comforted you, your heart told you to trust Grimmjow, and you had memories associated with him."

Byakuya said nothing in response, but his eyes opened and met Aizen's calmly, and he gave the slightest nod of agreement.

"So," Aizen went on, "I think that if we leave the spirit dimension and retrace our steps, and if you take those steps again with an open heart, you will remember. And if we travel to places you knew and spend time with people you were connected to, you will remember even more."

He released Byakuya from his embrace, then picked up the noble's abandoned diary and climbed out of the healing pool.

"And in the end, the lies will fall away and you will know the truth, as you once did. But I think that I may be able to give you a start."

"How do you mean?" Byakuya asked, staring.

"Well," said the king, picking up Kyouka Suigetsu and unsheathing the blade, "I do not know if this will work, but if my zanpakutou is willing, perhaps my ban kai can restore your corrupted diary. Perhaps it won't give you back your memory, but it will reassure you that you can trust what is written there again."

Byakuya started to reply, but stopped as a choked cry sounded in the distance, but was quickly silenced. Aizen's hand tightened on the hilt of his weapon and he reached over and released the seal on the noble's powers. Byakuya slipped silently out of the water and picked up Senbonzakura.

"Come with me," Aizen whispered, "But be on your guard."

Byakuya followed the king back towards the palace, but the two stopped as they saw that the doors into the palace had been closed and the guards had been slain. Aizen, took Byakuya's hand and the two began to back carefully away, listening and watching for any sign of the ones who had slain the guards. A moment later, flash steps sounded all around them and they found themselves surrounded by Fumio, Rokuro and Hisoka. Fumio took hold of the king's blade, smiling triumphantly, then he nodded at Byakuya.

"You have my gratitude, Byakuya-sama," he said mockingly, "If not for you, we never could have set up this execution."

Byakuya's eyes darkened.

"What do you mean? Are you talking about the lies you inscribed in my diary to turn me against my king? It didn't work. Sousuke and I have found our way through your lies, and I will neither harm my king, nor allow you to."

Fumio laughed softly.

"So you think that is it, do you, Byakuya-sama? You think that all I did was to alter the pages of your diary? Unfortunately for you, my friends and I are much smarter than that. We imagined that Aizen might prevail over your damaged mind…and so we did something more when we restored your reiatsu."

Byakuya's hand tightened on his zanpakutou.

"What did you do?"

"You think I'll tell you?"

"Yes, I do."

Fumio's smile widened.

"You may have a few brain cells that are still working in your damaged mind, Byakuya-sama," he said, narrowing his eyes, "Yes, I will tell you, because knowing what we've done will not help you to survive it. The two of you are going to die."

"What did you to Byakuya?" asked Aizen calmly, looking into Fumio's eyes.

Fumio looked down at where he held Aizen's blade to keep it from going into shikai, and he laughed again.

"There are not many ways to easily kill the spirit king. The king is well guarded and his powers, once he has been infused with the reiatsu of the King's prism, are enough to nullify most poisons and attacks. But…as you know, I have access to the palace archive…and in my studies of the texts there, I encountered a poison that will kill even the well protected king. It is the combining of two compounds that, when separate, do not pose a threat. But…when they are joined, they make a poison so lethal that the victim will die painfully in a matter of minutes. When we rendered Byakuya unconscious and restored his failing reiatsu, we infused his body with one of those two compounds. His blood is now infected with it. And to merely have touched his blood as you healed him after he attacked you and you were forced to injure him, infected you as well. So…can you guess where the other compound is?"

Aizen frowned.

"I would imagine you have placed it on your weapons," he said quietly, "You will need to have a way to forcefully combine the two compounds. And you will accomplish that if you cut us with your blades, ne?"

"Very good," Fumio said, drawing his sword.

Aizen let go of Kyouka Suigetsu and flash stepped away with Byakuya as Fumio slashed at them. The two reappeared some distance away as their attackers spread out slowly and began to stalk them.

"You cannot escape," said Fumio, moving in their direction, "We have jammed the doors, and by the time the Royal Guard breaks in, it will be too late! Run if you want to, but all it will take is a small scratch and you will die, Aizen Sousuke!"

"You're insane!" gasped Byakuya.

"Think about what you are doing!" Aizen said, flash stepping away again, "If you kill me, then you will force the King's Council to have to attempt the rebirth ritual. There is no guarantee the ritual would be successful. And anyway, it's not as though you could steal the throne for yourselves."

"We don't desire the throne," said Fumio in a low, deadly voice, "But we will not tolerate a foul tyrant like you to be seated as our king! Risking the rebirth ritual…even dying ourselves is not too much to ask to rid the spirit dimension of one so foul as you! Now, enough talking. Let's end this…"

Fumio moved forward again, trapping the two between himself and the other two attackers. The three flash stepped in together and slashed at the trapped king and consort.

**(AN**Sorry about the glaring cliffie! I will have another chapter up soon. This fic is nearing the end. Thanks so much to all of you who have been so supportive as I crafted it. I can't thank you enough! ****)**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: The Hogosha**

**(AN**GRR...I was having a heck of a time getting Doc Manager to work, so I apologize for any formatting errors. Had to get this to post, come hell or high water, because I promised Sariniste I would finally post it today. Hope it makes you feel better! Happy reading! Love Spunky)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**Even when mind and body have been badly broken, what we would protect lives on always in the heart.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_"Let's end this…"_

_Fumio moved forward again, trapping the two between himself and the other two attackers. The three flash stepped in together and slashed at the trapped king and consort._

The three men erupted into sounds of triumph as their blades sank down into the bodies of the royal couple. Only Fumio paused and looked more closely.

"On your guard!" he shouted, "It's Byakuya's flash step!"

The three turned outward and Fumio raised his zanpakutou.

"Mato mattaki, Kyoushu," he said quietly.

He paused for a moment, then flash stepped off to the right of the other two assassins, slashing at a surprised Aizen, who nudged Byakuya behind him and backed away.

"How is it that you see through my illusions?" the king asked.

Fumio smiled wickedly.

"You should never have let me get my weapon into shikai, Aizen-sama," he laughed, moving forward, "Kyoushu…the assassin, responds to the command, perfect target, to locate my enemy, wherever he hides, and to turn my blade in that direction. So, no matter how you move from where you stand, Kyoushu is able to follow and take aim on you."

Aizen and Byakuya disappeared and reappeared a moment later to slash at Rokuro and Hisoka. To their surprise, both attacks missed, and the two were forced to flash step in different directions as Fumio struck at them.

"You see that Kyoushu also has a defensive capability," Fumio went on, flash stepping in Aizen's direction, "It causes a slight variance in an attacker's moves to protect anyone I choose. You will not be able to strike the three of us, and you cannot escape my blade."

"That is where you are wrong," Byakuya said calmly, sending a hail of petal blades in his direction.

The blades spun towards the assassin, but altered in their course just before impact and fluttered away harmlessly. Fumio turned in Byakuya's direction, but was thrown off his feet a moment later by a blast of blue kido fire that erupted from Aizen's hands. He tumbled to the ground and scrambled to his feet again, flash stepping clear, just in time to miss being struck by a volley of kido from both king and consort. He was granted a moment of respite as Rokuro and Hisoka appeared between the royal couple and him, giving him time to recover himself somewhat as King and consort exchanged kido fire with the other two assassins. As they fought, Aizen disappeared again. Fumio raised his blade and focused, then caught his breath in surprise as he was launched, not in Aizen's direction, but in the direction of where Byakuya was still engaging Rokuro and Hisoka. Too late, he realized what Aizen had done. He reeled, crying out in shock and pain, as a blade thrust through his midsection, then he fell to his knees, gasping.

"You realize your mistake now, don't you?" Byakuya said, pulling his weapon free and watching Fumio slump forward on his knees, "Knowing that you would target whichever of us disappeared, Sousuke used his illusions to switch places with me, leaving me free to attack you when you made your move. You see, we realized that although your shikai gives you perfect targeting, It can only pinpoint one target at a time, so when we separated, you had to choose one target, and we made certain that it was the wrong one."

Fumio staggered to his feet and flash stepped closer to the other two assassins, laughing.

"You think that is all we have, do you? Well, think again!"

Hisoka raised his blade and whispered to it, and suddenly, the area filled with copies of the three assassins.

"Watch where you step, now!" Hisoka warned them, "Although all but one of each of us are copies, we are free to move among them at will to both attack and escape."

The group of copies surged towards the king and consort, and the two slashed wildly at them, destroying them, only to be attacked by others. Although they were soundly defeating the copies, they knew that if they continued to fight at close range, they had to expect that they would eventually take a hit and be poisoned. Byakuya flash stepped clear and raised his sword, preparing to release his ban kai, but froze a moment later as an arm wrapped around his waist and a blade was brought to his throat.

"This time, it was you who was mistaken, Byakuya-sama," Fumio said, holding him tightly in place, "No one said that all of the copies were within that space in front of us."

Aizen froze as he spotted Fumio holding Byakuya against him, and the copies that Hisoka had created, faded away. Hisoka and Rokuro moved forward and brought the king to his knees. Fumio dragged Byakuya forward and held him close.

"Now," said Fumio, "you are going to watch your soul bonded die before your eyes. And this time, you know there can be no restoration."

"Let him go," Aizen said quietly, "I think that my soul bonded has endured enough difficulty on my behalf. You have what you want."

Within the assassin's grasp, Byakuya shifted very slightly and brought himself more firmly against Fumio. He closed his eyes for a moment and made a single petal blade rise from Senbonzakura, out of the assassin's line of vision. The blade slid across the noble's forearm where it rested against Fumio's bloodied body. He watched quietly as a few drops of blood dripped from his arm and touched Fumio's cut skin, then took a short breath and grabbed the man's hands where they held his sword. Fumio's hands tightened reflexively, and Byakuya shrank back within his grasp and tilted the blade so that the tip moved towards them. At the last moment, Fumio seemed to realize what was happening, and he let go of the noble and flash stepped away. The other two assassins attacked Aizen instantly, but found their swords striking only empty air as the king disappeared, and a moment later, struck the two with a single slash of his sword. Rokuro fell to the ground as Hisoka flash stepped away.

Aizen flash stepped to Byakuya's side.

"Are you all right?" he asked, placing an arm around the noble and backing the two away from the advancing assassins, "He didn't…?"

"No," Byakuya answered, holding his sword ready, "His blade didn't touch me. But my blood touched him. If we can use his blade to cut him, it will be Fumio who is poisoned."

Aizen smiled and nodded.

"A very good strategy, watashi no koi. And it gives me an idea. Can you keep them distracted for a moment?"

"Of course," Byakuya said, as Aizen slipped away from him, leaving an illusion of himself next to the noble.

Byakuya fired a kido spell as Hisoka's copies began to rise around them again. He lifted Senbonzakura, point down and was about to let go as a blinding flash of power shot past him and sent his pursuers flash stepping away again. A blue and white blur blazed by and crashed into Hisoka, taking him to the ground, and leaving Fumio alone.

"Grimmjow! Ichigo!" Byakuya breathed, "Thank kami!"

Hisoka collapsed beneath Grimmjow, his body obliterating as he moved on to another copy of himself and attacked the former Espada. He moved from one copy to the next, turning Grimmjow this way and that, and scoring several hits. Ichigo flash stepped in next to him, firing another blast from Zangetsu and destroying more of the copies.

Byakuya realized suddenly that Fumio had disappeared into the group of copies again. He shook his head in frustration and lifted Senbonzakura, point down.

"Ban kai, Gokei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

A huge sphere of petals rose around the fighters, trapping all of the copies that Byakuya could see. He knew that there were likely others, and the two would probably not be caught up in the sphere, but at very least, it would clear the fighting area and give them a better chance of seeing the enemy.

He watched as Grimmjow and Ichigo burst out of the sphere and backed away as it collapsed inward, flashing a blinding pink and sending a large shockwave through the gardens. He flash stepped forward, landing lightly next to Ichigo and Grimmjow, and looking around for the king. They spotted Aizen off in the distance, battling Fumio at close range…dangerous, Byakuya thought, considering that one cut would end the fight in Fumio's favor even if Aizen did cut him down. But as he looked more closely, the sword in Aizen's hand caught his attention. He caught his breath softly and moved forward, only to be nearly flattened by Hisoka's kido blast. And on his feet next to Hisoka, was a somewhat recovered Rokuro. The two shot forward and were met by Ichigo and Grimmjow. The two closed the path to Byakuya, freeing him to return to Aizen's side. Byakuya launched himself in the direction of the two fighters, his own sword out and glowing with pink light as he bore down on Fumio, looking for an opening. He attacked as the assassin was evading Aizen's slash, and the man was barely able to move aside in time to avoid being hit.

"Byakuya, be cautious!" Aizen warned him, gazing at him meaningfully.

The noble nodded in understanding and fired a kido blast that put more distance between Fumio and them. Fumio rolled to his feet and was sent tumbling again as both Byakuya and Aizen sent kido attacks in his direction.

"I need to cut him," Aizen panted softly, "He doesn't realize I have Rokuro's sword."

Byakuya nodded and released another blinding blast of kido.

"I will fire again, and you follow it to him," said Byakuya softly.

Aizen nodded.

"Be careful, Sousuke."

The king's lips curved into a smile as he set himself and waited for Byakuya's attack. But before he could loose the blast, Fumio turned, flash stepped forward and launched himself at Byakuya. The noble tried to flash step, but it was too late. His eyes closed reflexively, then he felt something crash into him and take him off his feet. Someone's body landed on top of his and held him to the ground as the doors into the gardens crashed open and the royal guard burst in.

Kido fire erupted from all around and the men fighting Ichigo and Grimmjow were quickly subdued. Byakuya lifted himself and found that the body holding his down was Aizen's, and that the king's eyes had gone wide and distressed. Looking down further, he saw where Fumio's blade was buried in the king's midsection…and the blade that Aizen had taken from Rokuro had been driven through Fumio's throat, killing him almost instantly. Byakuya sat up as Aizen pulled the sword from his body and rose to his knees, gasping and panting for breath.

"Sousuke!" the noble whispered breathlessly, "Sousuke…why? Why did you…protect me? Why?"

"Because," Aizen managed, as the poison flooded his body, "I love you…too much…to watch you die again."

Byakuya moved closer, but Aizen's hand rose and warned him away.

"Don't…let my blood touch you. You will be poisoned too. A healer appeared at Byakuya's side as the noble knelt near the king and watched with a stricken expression.

"I will have to put him in suspended animation to prevent the poison from killing him too quickly," the healer said, healing light flaring around his hands, "But even doing that won't stop it completely. It will just attack his systems more slowly. And I do not know how to counteract this poison. We may not be able to save him."

Byakuya's hand found Aizen's and the dark gray eyes stared as the king's consciousness began to fade. And Byakuya felt a stab of shock inside as memories began to flash in his stunned mind.

_"Unbind me."_

_"No."_

_Shock flooded the noble as the reiatsu rose around them and the prisoner broke free. A moment later, he was lying on his back on the floor, the prisoner leaning over him…his hand still pressed to Byakuya's chest and the power of the sealing charm flaring. Byakuya waited breathlessly for the end to come, but felt another hard jolt strike him as his thighs were nudged apart and the man's hand moved down to prepare him with surprising gentleness._

_"Why are you doing this? You could have just killed me and walked away." Byakuya said quietly._

_"Why are you doing this? You needn't have risked life, limb and reputation to free me, Kuchiki Byakuya," the man whispered back._

_"I am certainly not doing this for you," the noble said coldly._

_"And I am not doing this for you," the man said, settling between Byakuya's parted thighs and slowly entering him, "We both have our reasons for doing this unexpected thing, Byakuya. We shall just have to see where it leads."_

"Sousuke," he whispered, "Sousuke, I…think I…"

_"There is no honor in being used by you, Aizen Sousuke," he said in a low voice, "None."_

_"I thought that you and his majesty were using me," Aizen commented, "Perhaps I was returning the favor…sad though it is that our king uses others like you to spare himself…"_

_"I agreed to this…"_

_"Well," said Aizen softly, "as you were so quick to point out, you had no other viable choices. You allowed this to protect your king."_

_"He must be protected or our worlds will fail. Don't you understand that? As his nobles, his servants, we are sworn to trade our lesser lives to protect his. What happens to me is…of little importance, compared to the saving of our worlds…"_

_Aizen watched quietly as the noble rose onto his knees and remained on the bed, his head lowered and his eyes hidden. He picked up the top of Byakuya's shihakushou and slipped it around the noble's bared shoulders._

_"Don't think so lowly of yourself," he said, touching Byakuya's face lightly, "Come…we have important work to do…"_

The hands that curved around the king's face shook and tears filled Byakuya's eyes.

_"I do feel your hatred, Byakuya, but right now, it is beautifully blended with your passion. I don't think anyone but me has ever seen that passion inside you in full living color like this. You have no idea how crushingly attractive you are like this…locked in place, overwhelmed, shaking and sweat drenched, with eyes that look dangerous enough to kill on their own, an acid tongue that threatens, but cannot deliver. Black on white…fire and ice…pain and pleasure…hatred and passion…a beastly heart and undeniable beauty. Byakuya, you conquer me. And so, I will say something to you I have never said to another living soul."_

_"No, don't!" Byakuya cried aloud, suddenly shattering Aizen's hold on him._

_The kido holding him in place exploded and Kyoka Suigetsu's power over him faded. He tore free of the rogue shinigami and backed away on his knees. Aizen's brown eyes watched in surprise as they knelt on opposite ends of the bed, their eyes locked on each other. The noble's slender, naked body shook with pent up emotion and his eyes threatened to tear. His arms wrapped around his midsection and his breast rose and fell erratically as he struggled to slow his breathing. Very slowly, Aizen moved to close the distance between them. He knelt in front of the distressed noble and took Byakuya's face in his hands, letting his fingers sink into the silken black hair. His brown eyes gentled and found the gray ones that looked back at him warily, as though, with those two words, he had betrayed everything he had meant to hide._

_"Byakuya," Aizen said quietly, "are you always so resistant to someone trying to confess his love to you?"_

"I see it now," Byakuya whispered, lowering his lips to lightly touch Aizen's.

"You…remember?" the king asked, his eyes blinking and glazing over.

"I…yes…I do."

"_Only three people have ever said those words to me, Sousuke_," Byakuya repeated from memory, "_And all three of those people are dead. And as much as I despise you, I need you alive…_"

Aizen smiled.

"But that was for our child, Byakuya," he said softly, "You wanted me to live for our child."

"In part," Byakuya said , nodding, "But what I couldn't lower my pride enough to say to you, is that I love you to. I resisted it with everything I had, and by kami you tried to cure me of it with your damned arrogance and foul behavior, but…"

"But you couldn't control it," whispered the king, reaching up with a trembling hand to brush the hairs away from the noble's eyes. You love feeling power that can overwhelm you…being held down and taken. You love being pushed until your controls disappear and I make you scream with pleasure. Do you know why now?"

Byakuya managed a weak smile.

"Because it looses that younger person I was," he whispered, a tear rolling down his face, "the one who was cornered and forced to abandon recklessness, wildness, passion. I only feel those things now, when I am with you. I don't want you to leave me. As much as I despise some of the things you do Sousuke, I do love you."

He took a shaky breath.

"And I am going to save you."

Aizen shook his head.

"How?"

Byakuya met his eyes squarely.

"Trust me."

Aizen smiled.

"You want me to trust you…with my life?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

The king sighed and closed his eyes.

"Very well then, Byakuya…you…have my trust, then."

Byakuya kissed his lips lightly as the suspension kido took hold. He looked up at the healer.

"I am taking him to Karakura Town. I will want you to accompany me to see to his care after he is treated."

"But…"

"Come," Byakuya said firmly, "We are running out of time!"

He reached for the king, but was stopped by the healer. Byakuya looked at him questioningly.

"I have to encase his body in a special kido to prevent his blood from infecting anyone else."

He leaned over the king, focusing his power until it wrapped around his entire body, then Byakuya carefully lifted his unconscious lover into his arms. He opened a senkaimon and flash stepped into the precipice world, his mind continuing to flare with returning memories as he ran.

_"I hate you."_

_"I know."_

_Frowning, Byakuya stumbled to the closet and pulled out his uniform. He felt annoyed at the imperfect state it was in. But there was hardly time to have it addressed before the start of the meeting. Aizen watched quietly as he slipped into his shihakushou and tied it at the waist, slid his hands into the fingerless gloves, wound the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu around his long throat, then brushed out his silken black hair and worked the kenseiken into the troubled lengths._

_"What's wrong?" he asked Aizen, noting the less than pleased expression, "I know it isn't in perfect order and the waistband is getting tight, but…"_

_"It wasn't that at all," the rogue shinigami said, smiling, "I love how you look all dressed out like that, but…I just think you look much better naked."_

_"You would, you sick…"_

_"Now Byakuya, what a way to leave your soul bonded! Buried beneath a pile of insults. You know what they say. Any moment could be your last. We wouldn't want to end things badly, ne?"_

_He blinked in surprise at the sudden drop in the noble's reiatsu and the sober look on his face._

_"Are you going to leave me, Sousuke?" he said softly._

"You're not going anywhere," he whispered to the unconscious man in his arms as he flash stepped forward, "I won't let you."

_"Sousuke, don't do this."_

_There was a long moment of hesitation._

_"I have to."_

_Byakuya felt as though someone had wrapped their body around his from behind, as though strong fingers had laced themselves into his. Mind and body were shocked with a sudden, rending sensation. He fought the hold of that other, his mind screaming as the sweet, warm feel of his child's reiatsu left him. He had no reiatsu of his own left to fight with, but instead used his very life force to tear at the one who held him back from death. Shock flooded him again as he suddenly reconnected with his physical body. He heard quick, soft voices and felt a touch that sent his mind spinning away again. Seething anger rose up from inside him and he forced the words out through clenched teeth._

_"I will…n-never…forgive you for this."_

_He barely heard his soul bonded's soft reply._

_"Very well. Hate me then. I am used to it. And besides, hatred is a safer thing than love…Byakuya."_

"Love isn't the safe choice," the noble breathed, angling towards the entrance to the living world, "But you and I have chosen passion over safety."

_"If you are thinking that I will say that I love you, then," Byakuya began._

_"You won't say those words to me right now. I know. And you don't want to hear them either. But although you intend to continue to resist, I choose to embrace what I feel for you. I love you, Byakuya."_

_"No, you…"_

_"I love you," Aizen repeated, kissing away the noble's objections, "and I will love you whether I say the words or not."_

_"You cannot…"_

_Aizen's fingers laced into his._

_"Your spirit, your passionate nature has conquered my will to resist you, Byakuya. And being soul bound to you makes me hunger for you. You cannot with any ounce of honesty tell me that you do not return those feelings. Even as you try now to resist, I feel it when I kiss you. You are fighting against it. Let go of your resistance and allow yourself to enjoy it, Byakuya. You will not be sorry."_

"And if you think that now that you dragged the words out of me, I'm going to let you go, think again," Byakuya said softly as he dropped down into the living world, "Cursed or not, I am going to save you."

He ran out of the park where they had entered the living world and turned instinctively, remembering the way as he went. He reached Kisuke's shop and burst inside, sliding to a stop as he encountered Urahara Kisuke and a very surprised looking Yoruichi.

"B-byakuya…" breathed Yoruichi.

"I need Inoue Orihime!" he panted, "Immediately. H-he has been p-poisoned."

"Kurotsuchi taichou is here," Kisuke offered.

He stepped back as Byakuya's reiatsu flared.

"Okay…we'll just wait for Orihime," Kisuke said as Yoruichi flash stepped away, "Bring him this way."

Byakuya followed Kisuke into a bedroom and set Aizen down in the bed. He settled at the king's side, holding one limp hand in his and lacing their fingers together. He tuned out all else and focused on Aizen's peaceful, sleeping visage as Orihime arrived and the healing of the poisoning began.

_You have to stay with me, Aizen Sousuke. I didn't lay down my life to put you in the throne, just to lose you like this…_

_Fight…_

_You stubborn bastard…_

_I owe you for dragging me out of death and putting me through all of this!_

_And believe me, you will pay…_


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: What Matters**

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_**It does not matter if we fall, but only that we fall together. I live to see your fair form pass over me at night, blazing like a firedrake, to see your dream clouded eyes when dawn comes and finds us lying side by side. We belong here, our bodies wrapped in warmth and coiled around each other. Where one ends, the other begins…we are…heart bound, soul bonded, spirit linked. I look inside you and see myself reflected there.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen Sousuke drifted on the edges of consciousness, blissfully unaware of just how close he had come to encountering death. He was, however, aware of the closeness of his lover's strong reiatsu, the sweet sakura scent and the touch of sinfully soft skin on his. He wanted to surface, but felt himself pulled away into a tender, but nearly forgotten memory.

_"Aizen taichou…"_

_The boy's voice should have annoyed him, as comfortable as he was in the shade, beneath his favorite tree, resting on his back with his eyes closed. But somehow, this youth's voice always touched him differently than others. And instead of being annoyed at being roused, he opened his eyes and found himself looking up into lovely, wide gray eyes and serene porcelain features._

"_Gomen nasai, but I am finished with the calligraphy you gave me to do. Look, it is much better than last time."_

"_Not that anyone but you or I would notice the deep intricacies," he said, studying the youth's careful work, "but yes, you have corrected what I pointed out to you."_

_His heart skipped softly at the pleased look on Byakuya's face._

"_Arigato, Aizen taichou. Are we finished for today?"_

_Aizen sighed softly, knowing that there was too much he had to be doing to be sitting any longer in the shade squandering time with the youth. Byakuya was too much younger and was heir to a noble clan's leadership. So although he might be very enjoyable in his current state, time would warp that inner beauty. Responsibility would weigh down that light, carefree expression and firm training would quell the lovely fire that seethed softly beneath that pretty visage. And being a peasant, he would never be judged worthy of Byakuya anyway. His own reiatsu burned softly at the thought, and for a moment, he almost hated the beautiful youth sitting beside him. _

_He certainly hated the forces that made him 'off limits.'_

_But he realized that Byakuya hadn't chosen nobility any more than he had chosen to be a peasant. So it hardly seemed right to blame him for the sins of fate that had landed him in the Kuchiki clan. And punishing him when his own family would turn and twist him in far more painful ways, didn't seem right either._

_But maybe there was something he could do, some small bit of pleasant rebellion he could employ, if only to ease his angst for the moment. So as Byakuya gazed at him questioningly, he drew his sword and turned it point down, instantly hypnotizing him._

_Byakuya froze, his eyes wide and curious, but despite the obvious diversion from the norm, still oddly trusting. He held perfectly still as the fifth division taichou leaned forward and brought their lips together, not gently or properly, as the nobles would expect, but roughly, and with intense passion. Byakuya's body went taut for a moment, and for a moment, fear registered in his eyes. But fear was quickly replaced with understanding…and the tautness gave way so suddenly that Aizen found himself falling forward, nearly on top of the youth, plunging deeply into his mouth and savoring the feeling of, not only enjoying something forbidden, but sharing that forbidden moment with someone else…someone who understood the situation completely. He was shocked that Byakuya could, being so young. _

_But then, it seemed that nobility was already stealing something of him away…and Byakuya sensed that._

_He wanted to go farther, to take that barely grown form and shed it of its innocence, but something inside him mourned the fact that more of Byakuya's innocence was already gone than he had realized. The fact that he responded with such hunger, such defiance meant that he knew what was happening…knew and accepted, at least at the surface._

_And such a one as Byakuya could, therefore, be useful in his plans._

_He almost convinced himself to move forward…to take Byakuya sexually and to watch him fall deeply under the spell of Kyouka Suigetsu. But the thought that it would just be trading one kind of servitude for another, stopped him short. For certainly, though Byakuya was powerful, beautiful, and understood that their society was unfair…it would take a harder toll to twist Byakuya's inner, hidden ideals, to bring them out and use them to his own ends. _

_No._

_Gin was a better choice._

_Equal power and less self torment, which Byakuya would likely treat himself to, if he was turned against his family and the king they protected._

_So he satisfied himself with that one, hard, painful kiss of longing, then intensified his power until Byakuya's fevered eyes closed and he went limp in the fifth division taichou's arms. He set the youth down beneath the tree and leaned over him to offer him a light kiss of parting on the forehead. Soft ends of the midnight strands of hair teased his skin gently and as his hand brushed against Byakuya's lower body, Aizen smiled at the swell of arousal he had caused._

_He was careful to leave the youth with no memory of the exchange. He left the young noble sleeping peacefully in the shade, the carefully practiced pages of his perfected calligraphy fluttering softly in one slender hand._

"Sousuke?"

The voice was deeper and had a sleepy feel to it, as though he had been awakened unexpectedly. And he realized that he had somehow become able to move again. Relaxing, he lets his lips smile and opened his eyes. His vision was distorted at first, and for a moment, he saw again, that youthful face from years before. But although the noble's eyes were still wide and beautiful, they carried heavier emotion.

Yet, unlike before, the fire wasn't hidden any longer. It was there at the surface, seething like the flares of a new sun and making Aizen Sousuke desire him with renewed passion.

He ignored the instant complaints of his body, and the objections Byakuya raised as he turned and brought the noble down, tearing away the yukata he wore, and attacking the sweet, perfect flesh voraciously.

"_Baka_!" Byakuya hissed furiously, "What in kami's name do you think you are _doing_?"

Aizen's mouth bit down on his, and the king's body shifted to trap the angry noble's beneath it. He plundered Byakuya's mouth relentlessly, pausing now and then to allow him an intake of breath and a few panted insults.

"You nearly _died_ yesterday, you stupid fool! Let go of me!"

"Mmmm…no, I don't think so," Aizen said, groaning softly at the amount of effort it was taking to hold Byakuya down.

_Perhaps I was actually as close to dying as he said…_

He kissed the noble harder, making speech impossible, but predictably, Byakuya switched to sending thoughts as the king's hands roamed his body, exploring his nether region and working the normally reserved man into a lovely frenzy.

_Get off of me before you kill yourself! I have half a mind to do it for you. You…you ridiculous…ah…_

Aizen smiled at the sudden loss of cohesion in his soul bonded's thoughts as his fingers plunged into him and hooked sharply, derailing even Byakuya's steely will. The dark eyes burned with mingled lust and rage as his back arched and his body rose up against the one above it. The noble gave a last shiver of anger and protest, then a soft moan of surrender before tilting his head back, closing his eyes and relaxing beneath the amorous, biting mouth and insistent hands of his lover. He forced himself to ignore the slight tremor in the king's hands and the glimmer of pain beneath the commanding brown eyes.

_You won't listen to me anyway, you stubborn ass!_

He heard soft laughter in his mind.

_This from you, watashi no koi? That is funny…_

Byakuya's reiatsu flared.

_We'll see how funny you think it is when you go into cardiac arrest from exerting yourself too soon!_

A firm hand parted the noble's creamy thighs and Byakuya gasped.

_You're the one panting too hard to take a breath, Byakuya._

Aizen positioned himself between his lover's thighs and pushed forward, teasing Byakuya's entrance until he couldn't stifle a decidedly wanton moan.

"I hate you…"

"I know…"

"Why are you waiting?"

Aizen smirked.

"Why are you shivering?"

Byakuya sighed.

"I was afraid before…"

"Why? Why were you afraid?"

"I was afraid of never feeling this again…"

"This?" Aizen said, pushing the head inside and pausing to watch the strong reaction.

"Don't tease me, you bastard!" Byakuya snapped.

"This?" Aizen whispered, pushing in further, then pulling back as Byakuya moaned and dug his fine fingernails into his lover's skin.

"I'll kill you for this…I swear, I will…"

"Of course you will."

He thrust in hard, clamping his mouth down on Byakuya's and devouring the hard, sweet cry that escaped him.

"Beautiful," Aizen whispered, "I want more."

"Then…I would suggest a privacy shield," suggested the noble, "Urahara-san might not mind, but he does employ two children here..."

It was a great temptation to let everyone within earshot to hear the wild sounds of their lovemaking, but in a rare act of deference, Aizen smiled down at his soul bonded and quietly raised the shield.

"No holding back now," he said brushing his lips against the noble's and earning a hard, warning nip, "I want to hear you."

"No."

"Really? I thought you were worried about me exerting myself. Now, you are pushing me to be forceful?"

He didn't wait for the sarcastic reply, but plunged roughly into Byakuya's body, holding him tightly to feel the hard recoil. And whatever response Byakuya might have made, disappeared into heavy, feverish moans and panting gasps of pleasure as his body raged against Aizen's,

_You have come back to me…my…Byakuya…_

The noble's body writhed harder beneath his, the lovely lips parted and moaning his name.

"S-sousuke…Sousuke…!"

His body gave a harsh shudder of warning, and Aizen withdrew suddenly, dragging him onto his hands and knees and entering him again from behind. He gripped the slender, white hips tightly and thrust in hard and fast, reaching around and stroking his lover's hardness, smiling as the noble's incoherent moans rose into delicious, passionate cries. He felt a hard jolt pass through Byakuya's body and the noble gave a senseless scream of completion, his hot release pulsing out onto the king's still moving hand.

Aizen laid himself against the noble's back, groaning and holding himself deep inside as he disappeared into the hot, hard pulses of nearly unbearable pleasure. Their sated bodies collapsed onto the bed together, and Byakuya turned and curled into his arms, meeting his lips more gently for a warm bout of kisses. Aizen's head spun pleasantly and the room began to fade away, but even as all else disappeared, Byakuya's presence remained.

"Baka," the noble whispered in a trembling voice, "I told you it was too soon."

Aizen smiled and opened his eyes, admiring his lover's glazed eyes and the soft heaving of his breast.

"You are truly beautiful, Byakuya," he whispered in a drunken sounding stupor.

"And you will be the death of me, Sousuke."

"We have already been _that_ to each other, ne?"

"Yes," agreed the noble, closing his eyes and resting his head against his lover's sweat dampened shoulder, "We have. And, it seems, we are still determined to undo ourselves."

"Well, let me offer you a more optimistic picture. Because when we made love this time, I did not hold back. I gave everything. You…do know what that means?"

Byakuya's eyes opened and met his warily for a moment. He nodded silently and closed them again. He burrowed more deeply into Aizen's shoulder and sighed softly.

"We'll have everything we were denied before…all of it, Byakuya, I promise you. And the ones that were there to take it all away are gone now."

"But if there is one thing I have learned," Byakuya said quietly, "It is that there is always another threat. Where one is removed, another appears."

"And we will face those threats together."

"Yes," Byakuya whispered.

Aizen slid his hand down the noble's back and curved it around his soft, round bottom.

"Byakuya, while you were in the Seireitei, I met with the King's Council to discuss changes I would make to the military and governing bodies."

Byakuya stiffened.

"Do I _want_ to hear this?"

Aizen laughed softly.

"I only made a few changes, mostly to make certain everyone's rights are protected. But one change I made will affect you quite a lot."

Byakuya lifted his head off of the king's and gazed at him in askance.

"My regime is likely to be troubled for a bit by insurgents, those who, for whatever reason, do not accept my claim to leadership. The Royal Guard is very strong, very capable. But I need a different kind of strength. I need men of great power…samurais, who will stop at nothing to protect their king. And as one who has proven beyond question that he is of that fiber, I would like you to lead that group…The King's Hogosha, a special guard of elite fighters who will give everything to the protection of the royal family…our family."

Byakuya stared at him, wide eyed.

"You want…me…to lead the Hogosha?"

"I will only accept you as their leader. There is none other who I would trust with my life."

"S-sousuke…"

"Shh…don't say anything. Not yet. We will be in a planning stages as you carry our firstborn, and after that, you will assume your post as taichou of the King's Hogosha."

Byakuya gave him a wry smile.

"And what makes you think I would argue with that?" he asked.

Aizen's smile widened.

"I had concerned myself that you mightn't be content to wait until our first is born."

"Of course I won't," the noble said with certainty.

Aizen frowned.

"Oh?"

"It will be several months before I will need to cut back on my duties, and by the time our child draws his or her first breath, I will see that he or she is well protected. Such a thing cannot and should not wait."

Aizen shook his head.

"Not for one of our mingled blood. You do realize that our child is doomed…to be wild, reckless, carefree…and awful to train for leadership. How will we ever manage?"

"I imagine that we will find our way," Byakuya said, settling against his lover again and closing his eyes, "Now sleep, Sousuke. If I am to begin suffering the effects of pregnancy soon, you would do well to gather your strength."

"Very well," said Aizen sleepily.

He coaxed Byakuya's face away from his shoulder and curved his hands around, admiring the lovely features and relaxed expression.

"Just allow me to look at you again before I sleep. I want this to be the last thing I see before I close my eyes, and the sight I wake to each day."

He expected a bit of sarcasm…a terse, dry response, but Byakuya only smiled and leaned forward to offer him a goodnight kiss.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: The Price for all of my Sins**

**(Yes, you have reached the last chapter, sorry though I am to see this story end. Thanks so much to all who read and reviewed. I am so grateful! As you will likely guess by the ending, I will be starting a sequel. I usually post the first chapter of the sequel along with the last of the prequel, but due to the fact I'm recovering from a really bad migraine, I'm working a bit slowly. I should have the first chapter of the sequel up in a day or two. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Love, Spunky)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_**I laid in darkness, cast down and stripped of power, blinded and bound…left to rot in payment for my wickedness. They did not understand. By feeding me only emptiness, they were feeding my hatred, my desire to be free again, my drive to overcome them. It wasn't until your hand loosed the bonds that restrained me, your vibrant presence chased away the emptiness and your heart filled mine that I felt the darkness melt away. I looked into eyes that understood my rage, and felt the anger transform itself into boundless passion. It was then that I realized that even being their pride and joy did not make you one of them. You shared the loneliness brought on by their rules and manipulations. And the joining of our hands was the pathway to sweet rebellion…**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Grimmjow stirred in his sleep and had the sense that someone was watching him. He opened his eyes and startled at the sight of Nel's body straddling his, her face leaning close to his and her shihakushou opening just enough to reveal more cleavage than he really wanted to see.

"Augh! Get off me!" he groaned, sitting up and pushing her away, "You know, I _am_ here trying to recover from battle wounds and since you became a shinigami, you don't have your kid form anymore!"

"Are you calling me fat?" Nel said, her reiatsu flaring softly, "I only wanted to make sure you were all right. Orihime-chan said you were injured in a fight, and that you had been infected with a poison."

"Yeah, well, Byakuya, Kurosaki and I were only infected with one of the two compounds, so it was enough to be a pain in the gut, but not enough to kill us on its own. Urahara just wanted to make sure we didn't remain infected with that stuff."

"Yes," agreed Nel, "We heard about how the poison almost killed Aizen-sama, but Orihime-chan was able to counteract it. Then Byakuya-sama remained with him all night, and when he woke, they…"

"Whoa, Nel, don't need to hear the details," Grimmjow said, shaking his head, then regretting it as pain sliced through the area.

"Do you need more healing?" Nel asked, looking concerned.

"No, will you get out of here!" Grimmjow growled, "Kurosaki and I are trying to sleep!"

Nel blinked, then noticed the ginger-haired youth on the other bed in the room. She leaned closer.

"Have you confessed your love to him yet?" she asked softly.

She laughed at the flush that spread across the former Sexta Espada's face and throat.

"Will you shut up, please?" he pleaded softly, "Just zip it and get out of here! Go back and find those two idiots who worship you or something. Bug someone else…"

Nel only giggled and climbed to her feet, then flash stepped away, leaving him sighing and groaning at the aches and pains that flooded his body as he rose.

"Isn't it a little soon for you to be getting up?" Ichigo said, from his place on the other bed, "I'm sure I heard Urahara-san say that we shouldn't be up and around for a bit longer."

Grimmjow gave him a dismissive look.

"What are you? His lackey? His muscle? Shut up and go back to sleep yourself, Kurosaki!"

He tightened the belt at his waist and stumbled towards the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" asked Ichigo, sitting up and groaning softly.

Grimmjow gave him an annoyed glare.

"I want a shower. Is that okay with you or are you going to insist on coming along and making sure I don't slip in there?" he said off-handedly.

He wasn't prepared for Ichigo's flash step, or being trapped against the bathroom door.

"What the…?"

Ichigo's brown eyes transfixed him and he fell silent.

"Oh my kami!" Ichigo said softly, "She was _right_!"

"Huh?" said the startled former Espada.

"Nel," he said quietly, "She said that you liked me."

"She is an idiot," Grimmjow replied, looking away, "and anyone who listens to her is…"

He broke off, staring as the smiling brown eyes came closer and Ichigo's warm lips met his. He meant to push the kid away, but his warmth and scent, and the strength and promise in that kiss were too enticing.

"I didn't just take Nel's word for it," Ichigo said when he had released Grimmjow's lips, "I've been feeling something for a while now…actually, ever since you showed up with Byakuya."

"You mean…before I was even changed into being a shinigami?" the blue-haired man asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah," Ichigo said, chuckling, "You don't honestly think I just took Nel's word for it, right? What the hell does _she_ know. She's cute, but she's a little 'out there,' ne?"

"A little?" Grimmjow said, raising an eyebrow, "She and those two morons are insane. You know that, don't you?"

"Aw, they're harmless, and I'm kinda grateful. After all, I wouldn't have gotten up the nerve to do this if I didn't really think you liked me too."

"Who says I like you?" Grimmjow muttered, "Maybe I'm just horny and you're here."

"I could leave," Ichigo said, releasing him and turning to go.

Grimmjow watched, his hands clenching and his back against the bathroom door.

"So go," he said, flippantly, "I'm not going to stop you."

He turned into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He rested his back against it for a moment, reliving the feel of those warm, hungry lips on his. Then he shook his head and slipped his yukata off, then stepped into the shower. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the hot water run through his hair and down his back. A moment later, he felt the Ichigo's presence again. He kept his eyes closed and sighed.

"What do you want, Kurosaki?" he asked, his voice barely audible above the rush of water, "You like window shopping or are you going to come in?"

"You won't stop me from staying, ne?" Ichigo asked in a seductive voice.

"Stay, go…take your pick. I don't give a…"

He froze as Ichigo stepped into the shower and closed in on him. He moved forward, bringing his body teasingly close to Grimmjow's and his lips to the former Sexta Espada's ear.

"You know," the youth breathed into his ear, sending a sweet shiver through him and making his cock harden instantly, "You really need to change your approach to seducing a lover."

His hand slid down Grimmjow's abdomen and wrapped around the blue-haired shinigami's length, making his breath hitch softly.

"Wh-why?" he managed as Ichigo's mouth fastened on his throat, "It worked, didn't it?"

Ichigo laughed softly and bit down harder, sucking on the former Espada's white skin.

"Only because this…" the youth answered, stroking his thickened member, "gave you away."

"Hmmm," Grimmjow said, pushing the youth back against the tiled wall and pressing his body hard against Ichigo's.

His hand wrapped around a soft buttock and slid downward, catching and lifting one of the youth's legs up, then smiling as it wrapped around his waist.

"So…" Ichigo said softly as Grimmjow's wet fingers touched his entrance and began to prepare him, "You thought about what you want to do…now that you're a shinigami? You going to join the Gotei 13?"

"Hell no," Grimmjow chuckled, pushing a finger inside and watching Ichigo's eyes dilate and begin to glaze over, "I don't have any desire to have their Soutaichou ordering me around."

"Well, you hardly want to go back to Las Noches, right?"

"Hardly," agreed the former Espada, nipping at Ichigo's lips and pushing a second finger inside him.

"You could stay here in Karakura Town. Kisuke'd be glad to put you up for a while, while you give it some thought. I think he's a little pissed at Aizen for just making you a shinigami without really asking if you wanted it."

"Well, yeah," Grimmjow admitted, "He should have asked, but who are we kidding, right? Who fucking _wants_ to be a hollow?"

The two exchanged a bout of hard, open-mouthed kisses as Grimmjow thrust a third finger inside the youth and pushed in deeply. Ichigo took a shivering breath as the fingers inside him hooked and found a pleasure center. Grimmjow smiled at how the lithe, athletic body he held trembled and the youth's cock twitched and leaked. He plunged into Ichigo's mouth, devouring a hungry moan, then moved his hips forward and slowly claimed that perfect body as his own.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo moaned, panting softly as the former Espada began thrusting into him, "Just a warning…"

"Hmmm…" sighed Grimmjow, thrusting in harder.

"Well…you may not be a hollow anymore," the youth said, "but _I've_ still got some hollow in me!"

Grimmjow's eyes opened and met Ichigo's as they suddenly went golden and more than a little wicked. The blue-haired shinigami smiled.

_Oh shit, this is going to be fun…_

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stood quietly in the King's Garden, enjoying the pretty fall of sakura blossoms, the sweet smell of them mixing with scents of flowers, grass and fresh water. He gazed down into the healing pool and slowly dropped to his knees beside it, watching the breeze and the nearby waterfall as they disturbed the surface, making the water ripple. He felt a familiar reiatsu approaching and looked up with a contented expression.

"Grandfather," he said quietly, "It is good to see you again."

Ginrei nodded.

"It is good to see you fully restored," the old shinigami said, inclining his head, "You have done well, Byakuya. You have brought pride to our family's name."

Byakuya couldn't resist smiling.

"I have brought honor to our house," he mused, "by breaking the Seireitei's most dangerous criminal out of prison, allowing that criminal to loose the fury of the hougyoku again and placing that criminal on the throne? Really?"

"You have brought us honor by obeying the former king's orders, even though your heart rebelled, for facing the danger that the hougyoku posed to you, for giving everything, including your very life to place the true heir on the throne, and for seeing to the important duty of royal continuance. These are honorable things, though they were not easy things. But I do have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"Are you happy, Byakuya?"

The royal consort looked down at his reflection in the water, then reached out and touched the surface lightly, making a new ripple.

"I am quite content as things have resolved themselves, Grandfather," he said softly.

"Good," said Ginrei, nodding, "I was worried for you. I thought that it was reckless and quite selfish for him to bring you back as he did. There was no guarantee you would ever be fully restored, and in any case, he interfered with your choice to allow yourself to die for him."

"Yes," Byakuya said, looking up at the balcony of the room where Aizen Sousuke slept as he recovered from his injuries, "he was both reckless and selfish in denying me my right to freely choose my fate…and…he will pay."

The traces of a smile rose on Ginrei's lips.

"That is good to know, Byakuya."

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen Sousuke woke from the restorative sleep he had been in to find himself extremely comfortable and lying in what he sensed was his own bed in the palace.

But something was wrong…

As much as he knew where he was and sensed that Byakuya was nearby, he was unable to move or even open his eyes. In fact, all of his senses seemed oddly distorted.

_"Kyouka Suigetsu…you have become quite rebellious. We shall have to see that is dealt with swiftly and appropriately."_

"_Do not blame your zanpakutou," _Byakuya's voice whispered in his mind, _"As your soul bonded, I am able to command him, just as you are able to command my zanpakutou."_

"_Not that I wouldn't have helped him willingly after suffering what you put both Byakuya and me through," _added the zanpakutou's spirit, _"You have shown complete disregard for rights and choices of the people around you, and now it is time for you to endure the consequences of that."_

"_I see,"_ said the king, smirking, _"But if I also control both Senbonzakura and you, then I can command you to release me."_

"_You could if you could call your weapon to your hand,"_ Byakuya's voice hissed softly, _"But if your zanpakutou and mine have been placed in a protective sphere that I command, then they will respond to me and not to you, ne?"_

"_Ah, you have thought ahead, my sly little consort, but how well prepared are you?"_

He could feel Byakuya's smile, even though he couldn't see it.

_"I am sufficiently prepared to make you pay for your transgressions, Aizen Sousuke. I will lay out your sins, one by one, and then exact your punishment."_

"_You are going to punish me? I am almost intrigued enough to allow it."_

"_You have no choice, but to allow it," _Byakuya said quietly, _"You like taking people's choices away? Now, I will take yours away."_

"_Will you? You really believe that you can?"_

He smiled at the soft laughter that rose up in his mind.

_"Yes, I can."_

He sensed Byakuya moving closer.

"_Aizen Sousuke, you are guilty of plotting against the former king, your father_."

"_I am."_

"_You are guilty of enticing others into your wicked plans and using them for your own unlawful purposes."_

"_Yes."_

"_You, yourself, as you committed these crimes, did also create the hougyoku, loosing Diablo to wreak his havoc that could only be stopped at the cost of me dying."_

"_Sadly, I did."_

"_And when I came to you and released you from your bonds, and placed the soul bonding upon us, you took every opportunity after that to indulge in the sexual conquest of my body, whether or not I desired the attentions."_

"_It would have been a greater crime to have missed even one opportunity to claim what you and the king had so graciously offered me for my troubles, ne?"_

Aizen took a surprised breath as a sharp jolt of pain registered, but he was unable to sense where or what manner of pain it was.

_"You are guilty of betraying my trust."_

"_Repeatedly."_

"_And you left me behind, causing me to be injured and to lose our child when I was poisoned in my attempt to escape capture."_

"_Regrettably…yes."_

"_You restored the power of the hougyoku, which threatened me."_

"_Yes."_

"_And you pursued me with the intent of using me to kill your own father."_

"_I didn't actually know he was my father."_

"_You watched me lay down my life and die to help you defeat Diablo and gain the throne, but then you interfered with that choice by attempting to bring me back, nearly leaving me bereft of my memory, my true self."_

"_Are you really angry that I restored you to life?"_

"_No."_

"_Then why was it wrong for me to restore you?"_

"_It wasn't. It was only wrong in that you did not allow me to choose, any more than you allowed Grimmjow and the others to choose their fates."_

"_They didn't want to be hollows."_

"_You never asked them. Sousuke, part of being the leader of three worlds is knowing when to exert your power and when to allow others to use theirs. Much of what makes a person who he or she is, is what happens as they make their choices. As king, you must respect their choices."_

"_Even when to do so will cause them to suffer or die?"_

"_Even then. The voices of the ones you lead will reach you. They will ask for your intercession, and you must know when to intercede. You must weigh those decisions carefully, because they will balance or unbalance our worlds."_

"_As usual, my consort makes sense. You were a wise choice, ne Byakuya?"_

"_You chose me?"_

"_I could have chosen not to bring you back. I chose instead to restore you, despite not knowing if I could. I saw the wisdom in my father choosing you as my consort and honored his choice in making my own."_

"_But you failed to consider mine. The next time I die, you will consider my wishes."_

"_Of course. And then I will bring you back anyway. I will not let you die, Byakuya…not as long as I live."_

"_You are lucky that, that is also what I desire, Sousuke."_

"_Good, now let me loose so that I can indulge in the sexual conquest of your body…"_

"_No."_

"_Why not? Don't you want it?"_

"_You have not paid the price for your actions, Aizen Sousuke, for your wickedness, for your transgressions."_

"_And you are going to punish me?"_

"_Yes."_

"_How?"_

He caught his breath softly as the confusion around his senses eased and he felt Byakuya's naked body settle on top of his. Cool fingers touched his face and brushed away the blindfold, revealing a sight that took his breath away. Byakuya rested on top of him, his body surrounded in soft, lovely pink light. And all around them, the room was hung with glowing sakura vines that turned and twisted until they came together all around his body, forming the bonds that held him in place.

"This is punishment?" Aizen asked, smirking.

"No," said his consort, shifting so that he could see the slender sakura vine that coiled around his awakening member, "But that is…"

"Ah, I see…you are still angry about that little interrogation, ne? You _were_ withholding information. I only meant to extract it."

"And you are deserving of punishment. I only mean to exact it."

"Verbal foreplay…how charming, Byakuya."

He broke off speaking as the noble reclaimed his place atop the king's restrained form and his mouth fastened tightly on the king's. Byakuya's hot tongue invaded, and the noble's slender hands explored his body freely, while the sakura vines twisted and slid along their bare flesh, curling around here and there, and slowly binding their bodies together. Every now and then, he felt the ominous scrape of a petal blade, just enough to leave a tiny sting upon the skin and to enhance the feeling of danger in their joining. Aizen's mind spun in sweet, pleasant circles as he enjoyed the slow exploration of his body that began at his mouth and moved slowly downward until, with a shiver, he realized that Byakuya was lying between his parted thighs, narrowed eyes fastened on his king's leaking erection and a smug look on his face.

He tried to think of something to say, but for the first time Aizen Sousuke could remember, he was speechless with anticipation.

Byakuya leaned forward and, with his eyes on his lover's, he lowered his head slightly and wrapped his mouth around one side of the soft sac, applying gentle suction and stroking it teasingly with his tongue. He paused and smiled up at Aizen as the king's body twitched and he caught his breath. The noble's fingers slid along the soft, inner thighs of the restrained king, tightening so that the pearly nails dug lightly into the sensitive flesh and his mouth continued to pleasure, first one, then the other side of his sac. He flinched again and his reiatsu rose sharply as Byakuya's mouth moved down lower and began to tease his entrance. His heart skipped and pounded as the noble's tongue traced the puckered rim, then he shivered as the invading tongue hardened and pushed slightly inside. He groaned in something between protest and relief as the noble pulled away and returned to his sac, teasing it wickedly before moving upward. A warning puff of breath touched his length, sending an ache of longing all through his body…and he was tempted to shatter the bonds that held him, and to take that sweet, white body, then and there.

Because he realized he could have done so at any time…

He sensed the bluff from the beginning, but it left him curious, when Byakuya could likely have found a way to really restrain him…why he chose to leave a way out.

He was distracted from his thoughts as the tip of a sakura vine touched his entrance warningly, then had them completely derailed as the noble's soft, pink tongue slid up his throbbing length and probed the slit on the flushed head, tasting the fluid that had leaked out, then watching closely as the vine around his cock tightened, milking out more, to be swept away by the noble's tongue as it moved in and touched him again.

Aizen's eyes closed and he loosed a hungry sigh as Byakuya's mouth wrapped around his erection and sank down, sucking hard, then slid up the length and moved down again, his tongue stroking the long shaft, then lazily tormenting the head until the combination had left the king restless, sweating and panting with desire.

Again, he was tempted to break free. And this time, it was harder to hold back the instinct. As one who had always maintained control over others, it was odd and sweetly tempting to feel the force of another will working against his. But he had always loved feeling Byakuya's strength.

It became a battle of wills then, with Byakuya lustily attacking his nether region, that pretty mouth bringing him to the brink of release and the wicked sakura vine tightening just in time to pull him back. It was the most beautiful form of torture he could imagine, watching the noble's sly expression, feeling the approach of completion, only to be snatched away again a moment before.

"Are you…enjoying yourself?" he panted.

Byakuya paused in his ministrations and smiled at him.

"Immensely," he said, lowering his head to continue the torment, but keeping his eyes fixed on his lover's.

The noble went on the attack again, and it seemed that the damned sakura vines touched him everywhere now, sliding along his cheek, brushing against his throat, shamelessly teasing his nipples and inner thighs. He realized suddenly that he was holding his breath and bracing himself against the pleasure that continued to wrap itself around him and lure him in with its closeness, only to leave him again just as suddenly. He let out his breath in an unexpectedly wanton groan and saw Byakuya's lips quirk.

_"You think you're getting the best of me, but think again. I will not…lose control."_

And in this case, he could certainly turn the tables any time he chose.

He was sure he could.

He was positive he could, right up until the moment Byakuya's mouth left his cock and the noble's body dropped down on top of his again. The sakura bonds suddenly tightened and he gasped, his reiatsu rising and reflexively moving to shatter the sakura ropes as Byakuya's body shifted and the noble's cock lightly teased his entrance.

It was in that moment that he realized the level of intelligence his consort possessed.

The sakura vines exploded easily, but the stronger bonds the noble had hidden beneath them held firm. Aizen took a hissing breath and stared in surprise as Byakuya gazed at him quietly, then sat up and released him.

He regarded the noble's calm expression for several long moments before he found his voice.

"I thought you wished to punish me," he said softly, "You had me perfectly restrained. Why did you stop?"

Byakuya locked eyes with him and leaned forward to offer him a soft kiss on the throat, just beneath his ear, sending a shiver of desire through him again.

"I wanted to inflict wisdom, not pain," Byakuya breathed against his skin.

He pulled away and gazed into his lover's curious brown eyes.

"Sousuke, I stopped because some choices are sacred. Some choices are a wonderful gift. Do you understand?"

The king met his consort's wide, gray eyes warmly and smiled.

A breathless moment later, Byakuya lay on his back with his lover on top of him and the winding sakura vines wrapping around both of them. With his eyes still holding the noble's captive, Aizen straddled Byakuya's body and lowered himself slowly onto the noble's thick erection, taking him inside in slow, deepening thrusts until they were fully joined. Then he leaned down over Byakuya's softly heaving chest and kissed him lingeringly on the mouth.

"I understand," he whispered, "And I choose you, Kuchiki Byakuya. I choose you to be the only one to pass through all barriers, to claim what no one else ever has…or ever will."

"You _do_ understand, at long last."

The king said no more, but communicated perfectly with the rise and fall of his body on his lover's, the feverish flush on his skin, the ever faster taking and releasing of breath, caressing hands and a storm of deep, wet kisses. Byakuya's body moved in perfect harmony, arching into his and falling away as the noble's mouth opened into lovely, moans of pleasure. His hand found his lover's riled length and wrapped around it, sliding up and down the long shaft as he thrust upward and deeper into the king's body, striking the pleasure center inside him and sending both tumbling in a headlong fall into bliss. Aizen's body shuddered and hot spurts of pearly fluid splashed onto their skin. Byakuya's hands wrapped around his lover's hips, holding him in place as his body quivered in release, filling and sating, and leaving both men breathless and smiling. They fell asleep, still entwined, with the glowing sakura vines wound around them.

When Aizen Sousuke woke next, he found that the sakura vines were gone and he was alone in his bed. He turned his head to look at the huge, full moon outside the open balcony doors and met with the enchanting sight of Byakuya's naked silhouette, cast against the brightness of the moon. The noble stood balanced atop the balcony rail, his head turned and his eyes fixed on his lover's.

"What is this?" Aizen asked, climbing out of bed and moving towards the noble.

Byakuya waited until Aizen's hand reached out to touch him, then flash stepped down from the rail and into the King's Gardens. Aizen followed, only to find that as he reached Byakuya, the noble flash stepped away from him again. And suddenly, he realized…

"_Naked tag,_ ne Byakuya?" he laughed softly, "How provocative!"

And the game only grew more enchanting as he flash stepped at full speed, his reiatsu flaring around him, seeking the swift, moonlit form just ahead of him.

XXXXXXXXXX

A pair of red-gold eyes watched in silence from one of the trees, those eyes casting a reflection back to the creature's master, who also watched from her lair, as king and consort flash stepped through the gardens. She smiled as the king swept forward and brought his mate down in the grass, then plundered his lovely, pale body under the light of the full moon.

"Yes," she whispered softly, "Enjoy this night, Kuchiki Byakuya. You haven't so many left…until you return to me."

She reached into her tattered dress, past the hole where her heart had once been, her fingers finding the two vials filled with the blood and reiatsu she had collected. She gazed at them quietly, then loosed a low, menacing laugh.


End file.
